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Rapaport Bans Zimbabwe’s Marange Diamonds |
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The Rapaport Group and the RapNet Diamond Trading Network have implemented an immediate
ban on all diamonds from Zimbabwe’s Marange diamond fields due to severe human rights
violations. Firms or individuals that continue to deal in Marange diamonds will
be expelled from the RapNet Diamond Trading Network and denied access to Rapaport
services.
Legitimate nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have documented severe human rights
abuses in Marange. Their demands that Zimbabwe be expelled from the Kimberley Process
(KP) were denied at the KP Plenary meetings early this November. Human Rights Watch
reported that late last year “the army killed at least 214 miners” and “as recently
as late October 2009, Human Rights Watch uncovered rampant abuses by the military
in Marange, including forced labor, child labor, killings, beatings, smuggling and
corruption.”
Read more about the Marange diamond fields
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Rapaport Fair Trade Conferences |
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Rapaport sponsors numerous activities and conferences throughout the year that introduce
and promote the idea of Fair Trade to members of the jewelry industry in developed
countries.
Past conferences:
JCK 2009
Baselworld 2009
Photo courtesy of Baselworld
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About Fair Trade |
Rapaport Fair Trade Principles:
1. Fair Wages
2. Community Benefit
3. Do No Harm
4. Monitoring and Branding
The Rapaport Group is committed to supporting disadvantaged sectors of the jewelry
industry through the establishment of FairTrade and Fair Made diamond, gem and jewelry
products and markets.
The Group focuses on the artisanal mining sector by supporting fair trade standards
for diggers groups and cooperatives that produce artisanal diamonds, gems and gold
in Sierra Leone and other developing countries. Additional activities supporting
fair trade standards for disadvantaged workers producing Fair Made jewelry in South
Africa and other countries are also taking place.
The Rapaport Group takes a strong proactive role promoting and implementing corporate
responsibility programs around the world.
Rapaport’s corporate responsibility activities extend well beyond commercial activities.
We believe that the private sector has a critical and irreplaceable role to play,
driving sustainable economic development in the poorest countries of the world.
We are committed to using our economic power and strategic positioning in the diamond
and jewelry industry to help artisanal diggers and other disadvantaged groups obtain
economic self sufficiency.
The Rapaport Group regularly donates at least ten percent of profits to charity
and initiates programs to alleviate poverty in Africa and elsewhere.
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