Conflict Diamonds: Nations that Vetoed New Definition
November 24, 25
(IDEX Online) - The Kimberley Process (KP) has again failed to reach agreement on a new definition of conflict diamonds.
A proposal to broaden the term at the KP plenary in Dubai last week was rejected by Australia, Canada, the EU (representing 27 member countries), Switzerland, Ukraine and the UK, according to the African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA). That's a total of 32 countries.
Updating the current definition - diamonds used by rebel groups to finance armed conflict against legitimate governments - would have required a unanimous vote. There have been repeated attempts to broaden the definition since it was first adopted in 2000.
The World Diamond Council (WDC) spoke of its "profound regret" that a small number of participants had blocked consensus on long-awaited reforms designed to strengthen protections for Africa's diamond-mining communities.
In a statement issued at the end of the plenary it did not identify those who had vetoed the new definition. But ADPA did.
ADPA said: "Six participants - Australia, Canada, the European Union, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and one observer, Civil Society Coalition, refused to support the expanded definition."
It said its proposed definition "aimed to provide a Pan-African solution to today's evolving nature of diamond conflicts and the realities on the ground".
The ADPA's broader definition would have included "armed groups, non-state armed groups, UN Security Council-sanctioned individuals and entities and their allies, as well as to cover actions aimed at financing armed conflict and other operations, including attempts at undermining legitimate governments, and the well-being of diamond communities".
It singled out the EU for harsh criticism, claiming it had in recent years "purposefully blurred and made several attempts to bypass the work of the KP.
The World Diamond Council (WDC) said progress had been killed in pursuit of the impossible.
"Today's outcome is not a failure of the KP," said WDC president Feriel Zerouki (pictured), as the five-day plenary concluded.
"Most participants stood firmly behind Africa. The setback came from a few, not from the Process itself. And while they halted progress today, they cannot halt the direction of travel."
Jaff Bamenjo coordinator of the KP Civil Society Coalition, an observer group that represents communities affected by diamond mining and trade, said KP remains detached from reality at a time when challenges are overwhelming and the KP refuses to take responsibility.
"Its scope remains a needle in a haystack," he said. "Communities affected by diamond mining are left wondering how this scheme can possibly be relevant to the many problems they face."