I listened to your address at this year’s Plenary of the KPCS, and—as always—it was a remarkable achievement. For your next intervention, however, I believe it would be both powerful and historically necessary to include a concise and structured reflection on the state of the KPCS in 2016 when you assumed leadership.
At that time, the Scheme was effectively dormant: operationally weak, barely present on the ground, and imposing sanctions it could not realistically lift. Monitoring missions were irregular or nonexistent; relations with the NGO community were marked by acrimony; and the overall credibility of the institution was wavering.
Your tenure changed that trajectory.
It is therefore essential to highlight the substantive progress achieved under your stewardship:
The revitalisation of the monitoring mechanism and re-engagement on the ground;
The restoration of constructive relations with civil society;
The adoption and implementation of robust diamond valuation frameworks;
The successful passage of key UNGA resolutions on conflict diamonds;
The return of CAR diamonds to the international market under regulated conditions;
And ultimately, the establishment of the KPCS Permanent Secretariat in Gaborone—a milestone that anchors the institution’s future.
These are not simply achievements; they are structural transformations that must be part of the institutional memory.
After all, what is the value of having one of the finest political analysts in the world as a friend if you do not draw upon his insights?
I intend to come by before Christmas. Please let me know your availability.
Dear Ahmed,
I listened to your address at this year’s Plenary of the KPCS, and—as always—it was a remarkable achievement. For your next intervention, however, I believe it would be both powerful and historically necessary to include a concise and structured reflection on the state of the KPCS in 2016 when you assumed leadership.
At that time, the Scheme was effectively dormant: operationally weak, barely present on the ground, and imposing sanctions it could not realistically lift. Monitoring missions were irregular or nonexistent; relations with the NGO community were marked by acrimony; and the overall credibility of the institution was wavering.
Your tenure changed that trajectory.
It is therefore essential to highlight the substantive progress achieved under your stewardship:
The revitalisation of the monitoring mechanism and re-engagement on the ground;
The restoration of constructive relations with civil society;
The adoption and implementation of robust diamond valuation frameworks;
The successful passage of key UNGA resolutions on conflict diamonds;
The return of CAR diamonds to the international market under regulated conditions;
And ultimately, the establishment of the KPCS Permanent Secretariat in Gaborone—a milestone that anchors the institution’s future.
These are not simply achievements; they are structural transformations that must be part of the institutional memory.
After all, what is the value of having one of the finest political analysts in the world as a friend if you do not draw upon his insights?
I intend to come by before Christmas. Please let me know your availability.
Warm regards,
Simon Pascal Alain Handy
https://www.harvard.com/book/9789655789430