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UN Security Council extends ban on import of diamonds

    ABIDJAN

    The UN Security Council on Wednesday unanimously agreed to extend for 11 months the ban on imports of all rough diamonds from Sierra Leone, a Security Council statement said. The decision which takes effect from 5 January 2002, exempts imports controlled by the government under the Certificate of Origin regime, the statement said.

    Resolution 1385 (2001) of the Council affirmed that at the end of the 11 months and in addition to a six-monthly review, it would appraise the situation in Sierra Leone. The review, including the extent of the government's authority over the diamond-producing areas, would enable the Council to decide whether to further extend the ban, modify it, or adopt further measures, the statement said.

    The Council also decided that the extension of the prohibition could be terminated immediately if the Council determined that it would be appropriate to do so. It welcomed reports that the Certificate of Origin regime was helping to curb the flow of illegal diamonds from Sierra Leone, the statement added.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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