Deal reached on "conflict diamonds"

A landmark agreement has been reached to stop the trade in "conflict diamonds". The agreement reached in Gaborone, Botswana would see the introduction of a certificate of origin for all rough diamonds to track the gems as they are exported from their country of origin to middle men and then finally to the diamond firms that will process the stones. The Gaborone meeting, which brought together representatives from the diamond industry, human rights organisations and about 30 countries, was part of the Kimberley Process which is aimed at developing a system to prevent conflict diamonds from making their way on to the open market. According to a ministerial statement released at the end of the meeting on Thursday 29 November, countries who are able to should start implementing the scheme immediately, while all other countries are to begin issuing certificates by mid-2002, with full implementation of the scheme to be in place by the end of 2002. The statement said that the certification scheme should be established through an "international understanding" and that the "widest possible participation" was essential. Under the agreement, producers and traders have agreed to regulate themselves, with each diamond sale being accompanied by a warranty on the invoice that states that the gems do not come from areas where rebel groups are using them to finance their war against a legitimate government. Once the shipment has reached its initial destination, re-export certificates would be issued for each movement of the diamonds until they are cut and polished. However diplomatic sources told IRIN that the agreement did not pay sufficient attention to the question of monitoring and compliance. "We need stronger measures and language on the monitoring of the scheme to ensure that all groups are complying," one diplomat said. In its reaction to the deal, the World Diamond Council said in a statement that it "welcomed" the agreement and that it was a "day of achievement for the diamond industry". Nicky Oppenheimer, chairman of one of the world's largest diamond companies - De Beers - said in a statement: "All of us in the international diamond industry look forward most eagerly to the Kimberley Process recommendations to the United Nations General Assembly being implemented swiftly by individual countries, so the legitimate supply chain can be secured." The UN General Assembly is expected sometime next month to ratify the agreement and put it into effect.