By: Shannon O’Donnell Published: 8 Jun 07  found at miningweekly.co.za 

The voluntary diamond trade regulatory framework, the Kimberley Process, is a United Nations (UN) authorised system which was implemented in 2003 to control the movement of conflict diamonds.


Conflict diamonds, or blood diamonds as they are also known, are diamonds that are illegally traded to fund conflict in war-torn areas, particularly in central and western Africa.

South African Institute of Inter-national Affairs research fellow Tim Hughes told Mining Weekly earlier this year that, while the Kimberley Process has made significant strides in decreasing the trade in conflict diamonds, much more needs to be done. “To date, the Kimberley Process cannot claim to have halted civil wars, but it may confidently claim that, since its adoption, civil wars have not reignited in Angola and Sierra Leone, and that conflict in Liberia has stopped.”

The Kimberley Process defines conflict diamonds as “. . . rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance conflict aimed at undermining legitimate governments, as described in relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions insofar as they remain in effect, or in other similar UNSC resolutions which may be adopted in the future, and as under- stood and recognised in United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 55/56, or in other similar UNGA resolutions which may be adopted in future . . .”.

In the late 1990s, blood diamonds captured the world’s attention during the conflict in Sierra Leone.

At that time, blood diamonds represented about 4% of the world’s diamond production; however, since the implementation of the Kimberley Process, this amount has been reduced to less than 1%.

The Kimberley Process requires that governments associated with the system guarantee that each shipment of rough diamonds is exported/ imported in a secure container, together with a uniquely numbered, government-validated certificate stating the diamonds are from sources free of conflict.

Under the Kimberley Process, diamond shipments can only be exported and imported within coparticipant countries in the Kimberley Process. No uncertified shipments of rough diamonds are allowed to enter or leave a participant’s country. This restricts conflict diamonds and ensures they are unable to enter the legal diamond supply chain and, consequently, be used for illegal purposes.

Countries participating in the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme comply with random evalu- ations, along with peer monitoring to ensure compliance. Further, all rough-diamond sales are externally audited, and are also subject to separate governmental regulations.

The Kimberley Process can embargo any country that is found not be be in compliance with the requirements. In September, 2006, the C�te d’Ivoire was considered a threat to international peace and security by the UNSC and the council collectively upheld resolution 1643 (2005), which, besides other things, obliges states to stop the import of all rough diamonds from C�te d’Ivoire into their territory.

In 2004, the Kimberley Process investigated the Republic of Congo and found that the country could not explain the origin of the large quantities of rough diamonds that it was formally exporting.

As a result of this, the Republic of Congo was placed under UN sanctions to ban it from trading in diamonds and was subsequently taken off the Kimberley Process participants list.

In addition, a Kimberley Process review mission to Brazil noted irregularities and flaws within the country’s procedures. The Brazilian government has since taken conclusive action by suspending its official exports of rough diamonds and is in the pro-cess of working with the Kimberley Process to meet the necessary requirements and consequently lift the suspension.

The Kimberley Process met in November last year, in Gaborone, Botswana, at its annual plenary session. The Process approved a plan to help Ghana strengthen its internal diamond controls or face a possible loss of its Kimberley Process participant status.

A Kimberley Process review visit to Ghana and reports from a UN group of experts on C�te d’Ivoire found that diamonds mined in rebel-held territory were entering the international market through Ghana.

The plenary concluded that there may be credible indications that Ghana had not complied with its Kimberley Process obligations. It was agreed that a review mission would be sent to Ghana in three months to verify the country’s compliance. In addition to the Kimberley Process and System of Warranties, the diamond industry – including governments and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) – is taking additional action to wipe out conflict diamonds.

The Diamond Development Initiative (DDI) is an attempt to build on the successful Kimberley Process initiative. The DDI was established following a successful campaign by Global Witness to high-light the plight of people affected by the conflict-diamond trade. Global Witness focuses on the connection between the exploitation of natural resources and the funding of conflict and corruption. It is nonpartisan in all its countries of operation.

Through the DDI, the industry, in conjunction with African governments and NGOs, seeks to improve conditions and structures for artisanal alluvial mining and build on the fundamentals established by the Kimberley Process.

by: Laura Tyrer