From blood diamonds to the kimberley process by franziska bieri 2017 english pdf. The kimberley process certification scheme environmental law. Jun 28, 2010 the kimberley process came into effect ten years ago to stem the flow of rough diamonds used by rebel movements in africa to finance wars against legitimate governments. The kimberley process started when southern african diamondproducing states met in kimberley, south africa, in may 2000, to discuss ways to stop the trade in conflict diamonds and ensure that diamond purchases were not financing violence by rebel movements and their allies seeking to undermine legitimate governments. The kimberly process is a combined government and industry initiative to ensure conflict diamonds or blood diamonds are not being exchanged and sold in the global market. The only two nations which remain under kimberly process sanctions as of december. Jun 05, 20 the kimberley process was established to halt human rights abuses resulting from rebel groups using the profits of diamonds to fund their wars or coup detats. Today 81 governments and several nongovernment organizations abide by the kimberly process. The diamond industrys attempt to fight blood diamonds led to the establishment of the kimberley process, an international diamond certification scheme, in 2003. The kimberley process certification scheme kpcs outlines the rules that govern the trade in rough diamonds. How ngos cleaned up the global diamond industry from blood diamonds to the kimberley process. It has 49 participants 48 individual states plus the 27member european union, which. The kimberley process came into effect ten years ago to stem the flow of rough diamonds used by rebel movements in africa to finance wars against legitimate governments.
Over the past several decades, diamond trade has fueled conflicts in many countries across the world. Boaz hirsch, chair kimberley process from blood diamonds to the kimberley process. Blood diamonds and sierra leone flashcards quizlet. Kimberley process diamond certification britannica. The kimberley process claims to have solved the problem of conflict diamonds, but it systematically ignores human rights abuses, worker exploitation, and environmental degradation. The kimberley process was established in 2003 to stop people being murdered so that doting boyfriends can get on one knee and offer their blushing bridestobe the ring they always wanted. Kimberley process has been moderately successful in limiting the number of conflict diamonds entering the market. Funded by socalled blood diamonds diamonds mined in a war zone and sold to finance an. How the kimberley process certification scheme works. The kimberley process certification scheme is an innovative, voluntary system that imposes extensive requirements on participants to certify that shipments of rough diamonds are free from conflict diamonds. Franziska bieris book provides the first comprehensive account of the kp and is. Keep in mind that diamonds purchased from antiques dealers and estate sales may have initially been blood diamonds, but resale of these diamonds does not directly line the pockets of war lords.
Blood diamonds, kimberley process, conflict diamonds, created date. The book describes the diamond pipeline, from wartorn africa to the. Although the kimberley process has made important progress in curtailing the trade in conflict diamonds, the groups longterm credibility and relevance have been undermined by a narrow. The kimberley process is a perfect cover story for blood. From blood diamonds to the kimberley process ebook by. New delhi, november 26 an attempt for a new, expanded definition of conflict diamonds eluded consensus during a meeting of the kimberley process. This chapter discusses the kimberley process certification scheme kp, which is the centrepiece of the conflict diamonds governance system.
In the late 1990s, several nongovernmental organizations ngos focused world attention on the issue of conflict diamonds which funded wars, massive death, and refugee crises across central and west africa. The kimberley process, designed to prevent trade in conflict diamonds, is doubly flawed. Between the billions of people killed by the rebels wanting control over the diamonds, and the erosion which has caused damage to the ecosystem by the mining, south africa was forced into a civil war. The story is interesting fiction, but it is based upon facts. The scheme was launched in 2003 and requires member states to set up an import and export control system for rough diamonds. Blood diamonds, and the harrowing stories behind them, entered public consciousness more than a decade ago. Chairman of the kimberley process abbey chikane proclaimed that we are very optimistic that the kimberley process is going to make a difference in the industry and definitely reduce trade in conflict diamonds. Download free blood diamonds book in pdf and epub free download.
Ending the trade in diamonds to finance rebel movements is the mission of the kimberley process. What are conflict diamonds and what is the kimberley process. The objective of the kimberley process is to stop the conflict diamonds to intermix with diamonds. The only two nations which remain under kimberly process sanctions as of december, 2006 were liberia and ivory coast. Ibid it has been nearly a year since the kpcs has been implemented a good time, perhaps, to assess what the process has.
Global witness first exposed the problem of blood diamonds in 1998 and played a key role in establishing the kimberley process kp, a governmentled certification scheme, initiated in a bid to clean up the diamond trade. In the late 1990s, several nongovernmental organizations ngos focused world attention on the issue of conflict diamon. As a result of the initial kimberley process negotiations, the kimberley process certification scheme kpcs was introduced in 2003 to provide overarching guidelines and standards for the international rough diamond trade in order to eliminate the use of rough diamonds in the funding of rebel movements. It aims to prevent the flow of conflict diamonds, while helping to protect legitimate trade in rough diamonds. How does the kimberly process work to prevent conflict diamonds. The kimberley process is an international certification scheme that regulates trade in rough diamonds.
The lion that didnt roar viii value of the international legitimate diamond industry, once the very paradigm of secrecy, has become more transparent through publicly available kimberley process statistics. Aug 31, 2010 the kimberley process has succeeded in virtually eliminating blood diamonds, but the global gem trade remains far from clean the haltingly successful effort to regulate the diamond trade was launched in 2000 after a decadelong series of bloody civil wars in angola, sierra leone and the democratic republic of congo. Franziska bieris book provides the first comprehensive account of the kp and is the first to reveal how ngos have become critical actors in their own right, possessing the ability to directly influence policies and to participate in the decision. Jun 06, 2016 although the kimberley process has made important progress in curtailing the trade in conflict diamonds, the groups longterm credibility and relevance have been undermined by a narrow. The kimberley process is a perfect cover story for blood diamonds we need a new system to force the jewellery industry to promote ethical mining and gem trading techniques david rhode. The kimberley process kp unites administrations, civil societies, and industry in reducing the flow of conflict diamonds rough diamonds used to finance wars against governments around the world. Of the worlds most precious stones basic books 2012 2002. Each shipment of rough diamonds crossing an international border must be. It does not require diamonds to be traced to their mine of origin, allowing smuggled diamonds to obtain conflict free certification and enter world markets. Reviews the book is a valuable contribution to the understanding of the kimberley process and the outstanding role of the ngos in it. The haltingly successful effort to regulate the diamond trade was launched in 2000 after a decadelong series of bloody civil wars in angola, sierra leone and the democratic republic of congo.
The kimberley process certification scheme kpcs is designed to ensure that all diamond shipments are conflictfree. The kimberley process rough diamond statistics web site private area for participant members. Please login to access the participants statistics area. The kimberley process global witness global witness.
The book is a valuable contribution to the understanding of the kimberley process and the outstanding role of the ngos in it. Kimberley process, a certification scheme, active since 2003, that attempts to halt the trade in socalled blood diamonds rough diamonds sold to finance civil wars and to protect the legitimate diamond trade. The kimberley process certification scheme kpcs is the process established in 2003 to prevent conflict diamonds from entering the mainstream rough diamond market by united nations general assembly resolution 5556 following recommendations in the fowler report. Dec 09, 2011 the kimberley process, a government, industry and civil society initiative to stem the flow of socalled blood, or conflict, diamonds, has come under fire in recent months with even once vocal. Book description in the late 1990s, several nongovernmental organizations ngos focused world attention on the issue of conflict diamonds which funded wars, massive death, and refugee crises across central and west africa. The core of this regime is the kimberley process certification scheme kpcs under which states implement safeguards on shipments of. Jan 23, 2017 to avoid buying blood diamonds, time suggests looking for dealers that are certified as complying with the kimberley process. That diamond changed and ended many lives, and the story of that stone carries a strong social message. Although diamonds often represent marriage, beauty, and romance, the process of getting these diamonds have been heart wrenching. Franziska bieris book provides the first comprehensive account of the kp and is the first to reveal how ngos have become critical actors in their own right. The kimberly process needs a proof by the diamond producing countries that the money made by selling the diamonds would not be used to fund criminal or revolutionary activities. Franziska bieris book provides the first comprehensive account of the kp and is the first to reveal how ngos have become critical actors in their own right, possessing the ability to directly influence policies and to participate in the decision making. The kimberley process went into effect on january 1, 2003, and israel was the first country to issue a certificate. The kimberley process is composed of 45 participants, including the european community.
May 14, 20 blood diamonds kimberley process jasmine sherlock. How ngos cleaned up the global diamond industry chronicles the important role of civil society in the highprofile campaign to end the trade of conflict diamonds. It has 49 participants 48 individual states plus the 27member european union, which together represent all the major diamondexporting and diamondimporting countries of the world. The story of blood diamonds and kimberley process gktoday. When campaigners exposed the role of blood diamonds in the angolan and west african civil wars, images of guntoting child soldiers were splashed across the worlds press. Human rights watch statement on the kimberley process. From blood diamonds to the kimberley process bookshare. Kimberley process certificate certificate that states rough diamonds were produced, sold, and exported through legitimate channels, retail customers buying a cut diamond can ask for a sales receipt that documents that their diamond originated from a conflict free source. The kimberley process has ultimately failed to stem the flow of blood diamonds, leading key proponents such as global witness to abandon the scheme. From blood diamonds to the kimberley process download. It requires all participating governments 48 individual countries plus the european community ec to establish legislation and internal monitoring bodies that regulate diamond mining, importing and exporting. At brilliant earth, we believe it is important to end all violence related to diamond mining, regardless of the circumstances.
Mar 24, 2014 the kimberley process is a perfect cover story for blood diamonds we need a new system to force the jewellery industry to promote ethical mining and gem trading techniques david rhode. Following intense negotiations, the kimberley process certification scheme kp was launched in 2003 to clean up the trade in rough gems. They are mined in a war zone, and the profits are used to finance an insurgency, warlords, rebel groups, or terrorists. Blood diamonds and religious war in the central african. The kimberley process, a government, industry and civil society initiative to stem the flow of socalled blood, or conflict, diamonds, has come under fire in recent months with even once vocal.
In 2017 it will be australias turn to chair the kimberley process certification scheme kp, an international. The kimberly process is believed to have significantly reduced the number of conflict diamonds that are reaching international gem markets. It is one of 6 edited books on postconflict peacebuilding and natural resource. Kimberley diamonds process certification kimberley process certification scheme the clean diamond trade act was signed into law on july 29, 2003 which prohibits the importation into, or exportation from, the u. The term is used to highlight the negative consequences of the diamond trade in certain areas, or to label an individual diamond as having come from such an area. The kimberley process kp is a multilateral trade regime established in 2003 with the goal of preventing the flow of conflict diamonds. Blood diamond trail leads to loopholes in kimberley process. In addition, there is no guarantee that diamonds with a kimberley process certification are in fact conflictfree. Several governments, ngos, and key industry players engaged in negotiations under the socalled kimberley process kp. The kp observers include the world diamond council representing the diamond. The kpcs scheme was enforced in 2003 and participating countries began to implement its rules to stem the flow of illicit diamonds used by rebel forces in africa. To avoid buying blood diamonds, time suggests looking for dealers that are certified as complying with the kimberley process. Based on these statistics, the kimberley process estimates that the blood diamond trade now.
Conflict diamonds, or blood diamonds, are diamonds sold to fund armed conflict or a civil war. Kimberley process, ensuring that more than 99% of the global production of rough diamonds are now certified to be from conflict free sources. The movie blood diamond traces the path of a large pink diamond found in sierra leone in the 1990s by a fisherman working as a slave in a rebelcontrolled diamond mine. The kimberley process certification scheme is the process established in 2003 to prevent conflict diamonds from entering the mainstream rough diamond market by united nations general assembly resolution 5556 following recommendations in the fowler report. How ngos cleaned up the global diamond industry, franziska bieri. Can the kimberley process stop the blood diamonds trade.
The kimberley process certification scheme, implemented in 2003, sought to eliminate the presence of conflict diamonds in the chain of producing, exporting and importing rough diamonds within participating countries. Read from blood diamonds to the kimberley process how ngos cleaned up the global diamond industry by franziska bieri available from rakuten kobo. From blood diamonds to the kimberley process how ngos. Consensus eludes new definition for blood diamonds. In this area, members can access statistics using a searchable database, graphical presentations of the data, reports and related documents. Blood diamonds also called conflict diamonds, brown diamonds, hot diamonds, or red diamonds are diamonds mined in a war zone and sold to finance an insurgency, an invading armys war efforts, or a warlords activity. Some have considered the kimberley process certification scheme a. The core of this regime is the kimberley process certification scheme kpcs under which states implement safeguards on shipments of rough diamonds and certify them as conflict free. The kimberley process forum meets every year in a different country, and discusses issues related to strengthening and updating the controls over conflict diamonds. Kimberley process financial definition of kimberley process.