• Diamonds

Diamonds

This report describes the current problems facing the Kimberley Process (KP), and the remedial action that is required if governments and industry are serious about ending conflict diamonds. In particular, the report highlights problems encountered in Brazil, Guyana, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Ghana, Venezuela and the United States

The report discusses the following:

• a background on the role of conflict diamonds
• the achievements of the Kimberley Process
• the current problems with the Kimberley Process
• the three year review process
• the role of the diamond industry.

This report recommends that the Kimberley Process must:

• deal with the problems that have been identified in Brazil, Guyana, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Venezuela and elsewhere
• focus on improving and enforcing internal controls in participating countries, especially those that produce alluvial diamonds
• strengthen and make permanent the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) peer review mechanism made a permanent feature. Additionally, the KP needs a research capacity of its own so that it is not entirely beholden to NGOs for investigative work
• strengthen the statistical underpinnings of the KPCS
• find new ways to finance a KPCS that has become larger and more complex with time
• develop a clear system of penalties for non-compliance, including a provision for suspension
• strengthen internal controls in each participating country must to ensure KP standards are met
• identify and close loopholes related to diamond cutting and polishing
• have the capacity to move quickly when there are credible indications of non-compliance with its standards, and to take decisive action

• Full text of document
• Publisher details
• Send to a friend