Conflict diamond meeting

A ministerial meeting of diamond producing countries is due to take place in South Africa later this month as a step towards creating an international system of certification to stamp out the trade in conflict diamonds. The 19-21 September meeting in Pretoria will be the culmination of a series of workshops involving producer countries, NGOs and representatives of the diamond industry which began in the South African town of Kimberley in May. Recommendations are to be presented to the ministers on measures to identify and control the trade in conflict diamonds through the pooling of information and the creation of a multinational certification scheme. “Pretoria represents the end of the workshop process and the beginning of starting inter-governmental negotiations on setting up an international system,” a Western diplomat involved in the workshop phase told IRIN. The recommendations, based on improved monitoring and security of stones from source to end-user, have been arrived at through general consensus among a diverse group of countries and interests involved in production and marketing. “It doesn’t mean an end of all technical matters, but at least some kind of big scheme is taking shape as a way towards a solution to conflict diamonds,” the diplomat said.