Background & History of the Issue

What are “conflict diamonds”?

In 1998, the world became aware that certain rebel movements in Africa were selling, among other things, illegally obtained diamonds – known as conflict diamonds- to fund their wars against legitimate and internationally recognized governments.

In 1998, the non-governmental organization (NGO) Global Witness first brought to the world’s attention the fact that UNITA, a rebel group in Angola, was funding its war against Angola’s legitimate government through the control, and subsequent sale, of rough diamonds. These rough diamonds have since become known as conflict diamonds.

Today, we also know that rebel groups in Sierra Leona and the Democratic Republic of Congo were also funding their wars against the legitimate governments through the control, and subsequent sale, of conflict diamonds.

Most recently, with the establishment of peace in Sierra Leone and Angola and cease-fire in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the volume of conflict diamonds being traded is significantly lower. However, the diamond industry regards this as no reason for complacency and remains fully committed to introducing measures and procedures that will protect legitimate channels of distribution from any potential conflict diamond infiltration.

What has been done to stop the trade in conflict diamonds?

In 1998, then in 2000, Global Witness and Partnership Africa Canada, two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from the United Kingdom and Canada respectively, brought to the attention of the diamond industry and the world media that illegal trade of rough diamonds was funding the activities of rebel organizations in Angola and Sierra Leone. This followed the imposition of comprehensive economic and political UN sanctions on Angolan rebels mining diamonds in Central Angolan rebels mining diamonds in central Angola in June 1998. The diamond industry immediately began cooperating with the United Nations and engaged with governments and leading NGOs to seek ways to halt the trade in conflict diamonds.

Progress to achieve this shared objective began in earnest in May 2000 when the South African government convened a meeting in Kimberley for all interested parties to meet and discuss a way forward. The meeting brought together, for the first time, governments, industry, and NGOs. What followed was a series of meetings, hosted by governments around the world, which came to be known as the Kimberley Process. In December 2000, all 191 members of the United Nations General Assembly voted unanimously to support the process.

Although these meetings were primarily inter-governmental, the diamond industry and NGO community became active participants. It was the first time that a global industry had cooperated with the United Nations, governments and civil society to address an important humanitarian issue.

Over a period of two years, an agreement on an International Certification Scheme was reached. Essentially, this scheme will ensure that official exports of rough diamonds from producing countries are dispatched in tamper-proof containers and accompanied by Un-forgeable certificates. Only countries with reciprocal arrangements would be able to import these consignments.

In November 2002, the final draft of the Kimberley Process measures were ratified by more that fifty nations. It was agreed that implementation of the International Certification Scheme would take place on January 1, 2003.

It is an important proviso of the UN General Assembly resolution that established the Kimberley Process that the measures introduced “do not place undue burden on the legitimate diamond trade.”

At its peak in 1999, the trade in conflict diamonds accounted for less than four percent of the world’s annual rough diamond production. Although this was a relatively small amount, the international diamond industry has declared that even one diamond traded in this way is one diamond too many.

Actions by the World Diamond Council

As industry awareness of conflict diamonds, as created by Global Witness and Partnership Africa Canada, grew, the industry became increasingly concerned about the grave human suffering being caused by several rebel organizations, partly funded by illegal trade in diamonds. The industry recognized the clear moral and commercial imperatives and galvanized its members to present a united front in the campaign to stop the trade in conflict diamonds.

These concerns were addressed in detail at the 29^th World Diamond Congress in July 2000. The World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) and the International Diamond Manufacturers’ Association (IDMA) issued a joint resolution declaring “zero tolerance” towards the trade in conflict diamonds. The resolution comprised a nine-point plan, providing practical measures to combat this trade, many of which have since been adopted by the Kimberley Process.

A key proposal set out in the joint resolution was creation of a World Diamond (WDC) that would represent the entire diamond industry, from mining through to retail, at meetings of the Kimberley Process. The WDC formed and held its inaugural meeting within two months in Israel.

One of the most significant contributions to the Kimberley Process by the WDC has been the development of a form of self-regulation on behalf of the diamond industry called the System of Warranties. This industry-driven initiative has been designed to complement and support the International Certification Scheme being developed by governments and is being implemented at the same time as the Kimberley Process.

Essentially, this means that once a parcel of rough diamonds has been imported into a country under the Kimberley Certification Scheme, each subsequent sales transaction that takes place with those diamonds must include language on the invoice declaring that the diamonds have been purchased through authorized channels. These proposals were welcomed both by governments and non-governmental organizations.

Although WFDB and IDMA have made this mandatory for the trade in rough diamonds, polished dealers and retailers are also being encouraged to adopt the system to ensure that the entire diamond pipeline from mine to jeweler is covered by an industry-wide system of warranties which can provide the consumer with assurance that the diamonds purchased are, indeed, conflict free.

These measures have been negotiated by the WDC on behalf of the industry in order to meet the requirement of the international community that action be taken to halt the trade in conflict diamonds without placing undue burden on the industry. These measures are the minimum standards acceptable to all parties.

Diamonds and economic development

The international diamond industry employs some two million people around the world, many in third world and developing countries. The vast majority of the world’s diamonds come from sources that aid development and provide sustainable employment. Diamonds, like other natural resources, are vital to the economic development of a number of countries in Africa and elsewhere in the world. Given good governance and the rule of law, diamonds are a vital source of revenue for the building of infrastructure and essential social services. The measures agreed on by the industry within the Kimberley Process are designed to protect the interests of all countries with diamond interests, whether they be producing, processing or consuming nations.

MySolitaire.com’s Stance on Conflict Diamonds

We here at MySolitaire.com fully comply with World Diamond Council’s compliance checklist.  We require all Diamond Dealers / Jewelry Manufacturers to write  

“The Diamonds herein Invoiced have been purchased from legitimate sources not involved in funding and in compliance with United Nations resolutions. The seller hereby guarantees that these diamonds are conflict free, based on personal knowledge and/or written guarantees provided by the supplier of these diamonds.”

 *Taken from the World Diamond Council “The Essential Guide to Implementing the Kimberley Process”