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The Kimberley Process is an initiative by governments, industry leaders and civil societies to curtail the flow of conflict diamonds. Conflict diamonds are rough diamonds whose profits are used by rebel movements to fund wars against governments. These illicit stones have fueled devastating conflicts in countries such as Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) imposes strict requirements on its members to enable them to certify shipments of rough diamonds are “conflict free.”

The United Nations in 1997 placed Angola under sanctions which forbid countries from buying diamonds from them. This was the first resolution that specifically mentioned diamonds along with funding a war. In the 1990’s it was estimated that 20% of the total production of diamonds were being sold for illegal purposes. The illegal diamond trade was reduced to 3 by 1999.06% by the World Diamond Council.

In May of 2000 diamond producing countries of Southern Africa met to plan a method by which trade in conflict diamonds could be halted. In 2001 the diamond industry main figures convened and formed the World Diamond Council. They set out to draft a new process where rough diamonds could be certified as coming from a non conflict source.

How the Kimberley Process is monitored, however, is its biggest weakness. Any country can become a member of the Kimberley Process just by sending a letter to the European Commission president. Even if the country doesn’t meet the standards of the Kimberley Process it can still become a member. Some conflicts diamonds are still getting pass the Kimberley Certification Scheme. However, there has been a vast improvement in the war to fight conflict diamonds.

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The Kimberley system increases the transparency of governments by forcing them to keep records of the diamonds they are exporting and importing and how much they are worth. This means that a government can be accountable for spending for the benefit of the country’s population because it is known how much the government has made.

In the accordance with the UN resolution, the US prohibited rough diamonds to be imported from Sierra Leone. It also banned importation from Liberia because they were recognized as acting like a pipeline for conflict diamonds. The KPCS became law in the United States in 2003 and was one of the major reasons this scheme could succeed. That is because the US is the largest consumer of diamonds.

A conflict free diamond is a diamond whose profits are not used to fund wars. It has also been mined and produced under ethical conditions. Conflict free diamonds are those that can be traced all the way from the mine to the consumer. Blood diamonds are still a concern, but with the Kimberley Process in place it makes the world more aware of the problem. When looking for a diamond of any sort, make sure the jeweler uses KPCS diamonds.

Article from DanforthDiamond.com, a leading authority on wedding ring sets, diamond rings and fine jewelry. Danforth Diamond provides wisdom and advice to help you choose the right ring at the right price. Visit DanforthDiamond.com or call 877.404.RING

 

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