Global Witness Leaves Kimberley Process, Blood Diamond Prevention Scheme

An International NGO at the forefront of investigating the illicit trade of blood diamonds has announced it will be leaving the United Nations-backed Kimberley Process.

Global Witness said in a statement Monday that the group is pulling out of the conflict-free diamond certification program due to what they called its inability "to evolve and address the clear links between diamonds, violence and tyranny."

Launched January 2003 and named after a UN meeting in Kimberley, South Africa, the Kimberley Process program aims to trace the illicit trade of blood diamonds, with governments certifying that shipments of rough diamonds aren't fueling wars or other violence.

Nevertheless, Reuters reports the program can't guarantee diamonds are conflict-free, pointing to several abuses across Africa where companies still mine for rough diamonds despite reported human rights abuses.

In announcing their departure from the program, Global Witness Founding Director Charmian Gooch wrote on specific shortcomings:

"The scheme has failed three tests: it failed to deal with the trade in conflict diamonds from Cote d'Ivoire, was unwilling to take serious action in the face of blatant breaches of the rules over a number of years by Venezuela and has proved unwilling to stop diamonds fueling corruption and violence in Zimbabwe."

Despite Human Rights Watch and Global Witness citing abuses in Zimbabwe's mines, the Kimberley Process still gave the green light in November for two companies to export diamonds from the Marange diamond field in Zimbabwe, according to the BBC.

Global Witness has long played a key role in monitoring conflict, corruption and natural resources. In 1997, the unknown NGO first discovered that diamonds were fueling war in West Africa. In late 1998, it launched a campaign that first drew the world's attention to the blood diamond issue.

Comments

[basenji]

03:06 PM on 12/06/2011

Never understood the appeal of diamonds. The entire business is in the hands of low lives. Why do people want to make these slime rich?

[madcityy]

02:58 PM on 12/06/2011

whooooooooooooooooooooooo caresssssssssssssssssssssssss

diamonds r crappppppppppppppppppppppp for valueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[satanlite]

11:58 AM on 12/06/2011

Stop buying diamonds. Prices are held artificially high. The market is abusive to miners and third world countries. Most importantly, they are BORING to look at. You'll never find on that can be guaranteed "torture and murder free" not matter how hard you look and how nice the fellow is, and sincere, who will tell you otherwise at the jewelry store.

[RGoldschlager]

11:01 AM on 12/06/2011

If you’re looking for diamond jewelry with a fully conflict free supply chain, check out http://bynataliefrigo.com She designed our wedding rings and uses only recycled metals and all conflict free gems.

[Taxim]

10:52 AM on 12/06/2011

The diamond industry is a major pillar of the Israeli economy. No other developed country is so heavily dependent on a single luxury commodity and the goodwill of individual consumers globally. Anything that threatens the carefully-­nurtured image of diamonds as objects of desire, romance and purity could have serious consequenc­es for the Israel diamond industry and the country’s ability to continue funding its illegal occupation of the Palestinia­n territorie­s.

www­.bdsmoveme­nt.net

[myopinion2]

04:54 PM on 12/06/2011

Blame Israel for everything.

[trailerguy]

10:34 AM on 12/06/2011

For years DEbeers worked with varoius diamnond producing to keep the value of diamonds up. They are not that rare, and now can be made in the lab. Poor investment, won't buy a diamond.

[satanlite]

11:59 AM on 12/06/2011

There are WAREHOUSES FULL OF DIAMONDS that are not being sold so that the prices are held high. They are NOT rare, not at all.

[trailerguy]

04:28 PM on 12/06/2011

It is scram like bottled water. refused to buy diamond for my wife for an engagment ring

[olitenup]

10:16 AM on 12/06/2011

And the difference between blood oil and blood diamonds and I will add, blood coal. is nil. In both, the native peoples are exploited and the earth is left damaged and poisoned in the process.

[Mikeeee]

09:53 AM on 12/06/2011

Blood diamonds have very similar characteristics to blood oil. Both can be consumed in the fire of common household match leaving nothing but pollution behind. Where they differ is one needs to be held in a vessel because it's a liquid. The other can be smashed to dust with a common household hammer.

[Mikeeee]

09:45 AM on 12/06/2011

Blood oil isn't any cleaner than blood diamonds.

[Gringostan]

08:03 AM on 12/06/2011

DeBeers is an illegal cartel and should be shut down.

[XLT]

07:27 AM on 12/06/2011

Who doesn't want to wear a reminder of human suffering on their finger everyday?

[Gracie fr]

07:21 AM on 12/06/2011

Blood diamonds like blood oil, natural gas, columbite–tantalite (coltan) will forever be fought over in bush conflicts and covert wars because of the developed/developing world’s need for them. Deposits, mines, reserves are often in hard to monitor and inaccessible places (Sierre Leone, Angola, Liberia, Democratic Republic of the Congo) making it easy and profitable for the leaders of the countries to exploit both men and minerals. Greg Cambell’s book, (2004) along with Edward Zwick’s movie Blood Diamond (2006), did much to alert the general public to, as Zwick put it, the perils of the “resource curse”. That the Kimberly Process, 10 year’s after Sierrra Leones civil war should be ineffective should come as no surprise The diamond trade from Antwerp to Israel to Mumbai is susceptible to corruption as dealers are only too willing to take smuggled stones off a runner’s hands. Once stones are cut and faceted, who is going to know where they came from…

[JoePesci]

07:18 AM on 12/06/2011

So, how were we tricked into this Diamond obsession?

Simple. a Huge marketing campaign, Advertising disguised as news, and "The Red Carpet"...

http://www.edwardjayepstein.com/diamond/chap13.htm

a concerted effort by De Beers to control and manipulate not only the supply, but the demand.

an eye opening read..

[trailerguy]

10:36 AM on 12/06/2011

Debeers did a grat marketing to the masses and totlaly overinflated the costr of diamonds or a t least their value.

[satanlite]

12:00 PM on 12/06/2011

Why do people vote for criminal Republicans? Same kind of marketing.

[JoePesci]

12:06 PM on 12/06/2011

L-Oh-El!

[earlgray1787]

06:53 AM on 12/06/2011

A Pirate tip' ... blood washes off’ ... but who doesn't know that?

[Alexey Braguine]

08:58 AM on 12/06/2011

Diamond laundry for sale cheap. Send your money to Mr. Akumba Samaki Director of Pesamingi Bank Ltd.

[DanoX]

06:35 AM on 12/06/2011

How can diamonds even be considered fashionable anymore, with all the hip-hop gangster rappers decorating their teeth with them??

[satanlite]

12:00 PM on 12/06/2011

Hip hop has a way of destroying the value of anything it touches.

[Sickofpoliticians2]

11:10 AM on 12/07/2011

yeah mostly music