RAPAPORT... January 2003 was a time when the diamond industry could be proud. It was when the Kimberley Process (KP) Certification Scheme was officially launched. Five years in the making, the KP, a set of regulations created to stem the flow of conflict diamonds and keep diamonds from funding war at the expense of innocent people, brought together the governments of 73 nations, the diamond industry and nongovernmental organization (NGO) watchdog groups. While perhaps not perfect — after all, getting 73 nations, the diamond industry and NGOs to agree on one process required a lot of negotiation, compromise and accommodation — it was an excellent start. However, six years later, it seems as if the KP is losing its momentum. It does not seem to be changing to adapt to new situations, nor does it seem that it is being fully implemented. And no one seems to be held accountable for loopholes in the system. Realistically, more work needs to be done to keep the KP viable. NGO Global Witness suggests that to make the KP more effective, four things need to happen: Strengthen government controls, increase government oversight of the diamond industry, publish diamond statistics and properly finance the scheme so that it is no longer relying on volunteers to keep it going. Many may be reading this and thinking enough has been done, it doesn’t matter, or that times are tough, business is bad, or “I don’t have time for this.” As an industry, we must maintain the integrity of diamonds. After all, the person digging for diamonds is a human being with a family and friends and the right to a peaceful, prosperous life, just like the life that we who are buying the diamonds enjoy. There is no reason why anyone should turn a blind eye while diggers are being maimed and slaughtered. It is time that the KP also takes into consideration human rights.
The world has changed and continues to change. People are increasingly socially conscious and they are continuing to become more so, especially at a grassroots level that will become more mainstream over the coming decades. Any product that is perceived as being detrimental to the environment or human rights will go out of style. Consumers will spend money on products that they perceive as beneficial to others. To keep diamonds relevant to consumers, the industry must ensure that diamonds are legitimately traded and not associated with war and inhumane acts. So, perhaps, those who worked so diligently to put the KP in place need to go back to the drawing board and take another look at the world and reconfigure the KP to be a stronger, more viable process that protects the people who are digging for diamonds and ultimately maintains the sparkling image of diamonds.
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - August 2009. To subscribe click here.