Conflict diamonds update
A significant step forward in ending the trade in Conflict Diamonds
In just over seven weeks more than 6,000 individuals have come forward to support the Conflict Diamonds Pledge. As we promised, your pledges were presented to the Kimberley process in South Africa at the end of October.
According to our campaign partners, our conflict diamond campaign has helped to convince the diamond industry to get its house in order or risk becoming the subject of a bigger consumer awareness campaign. This has led to a significant step forward in bringing to an end to the trade in conflict diamonds.
Whilst full, impartial monitoring has not yet been adopted, a volunteer system for independent review missions was agreed at the meeting of diamond representatives at the end of October.
Below is the press release issued by our partner organisations:
31 October 2003
Scheme to end the trade in conflict diamonds - regular monitoring not agreed
Although progress was made within the Kimberley Process towards universal monitoring of the rough diamond trade, there are still no provisions for regular, impartial monitoring of all participants.
Top of the agenda at this week's meeting in Sun City was the critical issue of monitoring. NGOs, along with several countries and the World Diamond Council proposed a system of regular monitoring that could have covered all participating countries within 4 years.
NGOs were disappointed that this was not adopted. However, we recognise that the Plenary's endorsement of a system in which countries could volunteer for review is a significant step forward.
NGOs are encouraged that a number of countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville), volunteered for a monitoring review mission.
A system-wide approach to monitoring and review is essential to the effectiveness and credibility of the Kimberley Process Certification System, for ending the trade in conflict diamonds and ensuring consumer confidence.
Joint release from:
Amnesty International
ActionAid UK
CENADEP
Fatal Transactions/Netherlands institute for Southern Africa
Global Witness
Partnership Africa Canada
World Vision
On the basis that our target of full impartial monitoring was not achieved, please continue to support our diamond pledge.
The illicit trade in diamonds from conflict zones has provided a vital funding stream that is thought to have fuelled many conflicts and civil wars in Africa. After years of campaigning by international human rights and development groups, an international agreement to combat the trade in conflict diamonds is now in place, but still lacks the teeth to ensure that it is effectively implemented.
Terms of Engagement: what we're proposing
In January 2003, the Kimberley Process, an international diamond certification system, was introduced to eradicate the trade in conflict diamonds. As a result of pressure from NGOs, the diamond industry and governments agreed to this scheme to prevent conflict diamonds from entering the legitimate diamond trade. However, there is a critical flaw in the Kimberley Process that threatens to undermine the success of the entire scheme: the system includes no provision for monitoring to ensure that actions taken by government and industry work in practice and are not open to abuse.
Consumer support could make the difference in making sure that governments and the diamond trade agree to impartial verification of the scheme.
By signing up to our Diamond Pledge, together we can press for an effective scheme, urging governments to agree to impartial, regular monitoring of all countries participating in the Kimberley Process to deliver a system that can guarantee conflict -free diamonds. The pledge can also play an important role in ensuring that the diamond trade implements meaningful self-regulation to stop conflict diamond trading.
Signing up to the pledge is relatively straight forward, but, as well as indicating your support for the aims of the Pledge, we are, additionally, seeking your willingness to follow through on the Pledge commitments: where possible to raise awareness with family and friends, to raise the issue with your MP and to raise the issue with jewellers.
In partnership with Global Witness, Amnesty International and ActionAid, and with your support, we intend to present your pledges to the Kimberley Process participants at their next meeting in South Africa, 29-31 October 2003.
Background
Monies raised from the illegal trade in diamonds from conflict zones have been used to buy weapons to fuel war and human rights abuses in Africa. These atrocities may be carried out by governments or by rebel groups, but what is clear is that the ability of organisations to engage in such activities is made possible through the money they receive from the sale of what are called conflict diamonds.
The total global production of diamonds is estimated to be worth some £6.8 billion a year. Diamonds have been used in Angola, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to finance destructive civil wars, in which about 3.7 million people have died.
After Global Witness first alerted the world to the problem of conflict diamonds in 1998, the international community has moved relatively swiftly to address the problem. In an attempt to curb the trade in conflict diamonds and prevent them from entering the legitimate diamond trade, an inter-governmental scheme, called 'The Kimberley Process', was introduced in January 2003. This scheme seeks to ensure, through certification, that only certified diamonds enter the global diamond market. The scheme requires that every new diamond mined is given a 'birth' certificate, stating its place of origin. The diamond is then tracked as it crosses international borders. About 54 governments of diamond producing and trading countries administer the system.
As part of this agreement, the diamond industry has committed to implement a system of self-regulation. It has agreed to a system of warranties requiring that those in the diamond industry buy diamonds only from companies that provide guarantees that their diamonds do not come from conflict sources.
A global coalition of human rights and development groups welcome the introduction of these schemes and see them as a vital first step to stop conflict diamonds from illegitimate sources being used to fund or, indeed, cause conflict.
It is important to recognize, however, that the establishment of the Kimberley Process can only be a first step in the bid to stamp out this trade. If it is to be successful and effective, the scheme needs to command the active support of consumers, retailers, diamond companies and governments at all stages in the process.
Furthermore, human rights and development groups argue that the Kimberley Process needs to be subject to regular and impartial monitoring. As it stands, under the current system, there is no evaluation of the effectiveness of all countries' laws and regulations to keep out conflict diamonds. NGOs are also concerned that the diamond industry is not effectively implementing and monitoring its own self-regulation. Regular, impartial monitoring of all countries' diamond control systems as well as effective implementation of the industry self-regulation are seen as the only means by which consumers can have real confidence in the integrity of the scheme.
As a consumer what can you do?
Since the Kimberley Process was initiated in January 2003 the diamond industry has been implementing the system of warranties. As a consumer, you can expect jewellers to provide you with documentary reassurance and policies that are being taken to ensure that any diamond that you buy is guaranteed conflict-free. However, without adequate monitoring of countries' and industry efforts, you might question just how strong any guarantee actually is.
You may feel that the opportunity to directly influence this issue may be limited, on the basis that, for most of us, diamonds are not an every day purchase.
However, at the bank we have come together with ActionAid, Amnesty International and Global Witness and have put together a pledge for consumers to support, to demonstrate to the diamond industry and governments that UK consumers remain concerned about conflict diamonds.
It is your expression of concern that can help to make this happen. Please support our Pledge.
With your support, one day all diamonds could be guaranteed conflict free.
For further information on Conflict Diamonds, and to keep up to date with developments on the Kimberley Process, visit the website of ActionAid atwww.actionaid.org, Amnesty International at www.amnesty.org/globalization or Global Witness at www.globalwitness.org
