After years of fighting for a broader definition of the term “conflict diamond,” the World Diamond Council (WDC) says it finally has new wording it believes will attract a consensus.
The current definition refers only to diamonds used to fund rebel groups, which critics have argued doesn’t reflect the present situation. Over the years, Kimberley Process (KP) member countries have suggested new descriptions that would also include references to “systemic and widespread violence,” “forced labor,” “child labor” and “human rights abuses.”
The biggest problem with changing the wording is the need for all member countries to agree, which hasn’t been the case in the past.
However, at the most recent KP intersessional, which took place in Dubai from May 12 to 16, the African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA), which represents 15 member countries and five observers, offered new terminology.
ADPA “proposed language for an expanded definition of conflict diamonds that turned our call into meaningful action and moved us from the existing reference to rebel movements, with an understanding to include armed groups or individuals and entities under the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions,” WDC president Feriel Zerouki said last week. “This contribution opened a path forward and brought many stakeholders back to the table.”
The majority of member countries felt comfortable with the expanded language and were “determined to move the process forward,” Zerouki noted. KP chair Ahmed Bin Sulayem agreed.
“The text proposal from ADPA is moving the conversation forward and showcasing the importance of a clear and nonambiguous new definition,” he explained. “While we’re still some distance from consensus, this marks real and necessary progress.”
Additionally, the WDC has advanced and completed nearly all of the crucial items on its reform agenda, including finalizing the core document, which will help make the certification scheme easier to understand, more consistent and simpler to implement, Zerouki said. The intersessional also saw the adoption of new guidelines designed to support community development.
“This is meaningful progress,” Zerouki added. “This time, we feel that the majority of KP members have come prepared. Prepared with the will to act. Prepared with the will to modernize the definition, prepared with the will to make the Kimberley Process as impactful as it was at its inception. We are almost at the finish line. Let us stand together. Let us keep the momentum. Let us get this done.”
Image: The WDC KP taskforce. (World Diamond Council)
