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Dealers try to thwart conflict diamond trade in Zimbabwe, but loophopes persist
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By Kevin James Moore
Source:
http://mediaglobal.org/article/2010-03-04/dealers-try-to-thwart-conflict-diamond-trade-in-zimbabwe-but-loopholes-persist
4 March 2010 [MediaGlobal]: The World Diamond Council (WDC) has recently
urged that action be taken to end human rights abuses being committed in the Marange
diamond fields of Zimbabwe. Allegations against the Zimbabwean military of forced
labor, child labor, the killing of more than 200 people, beatings, smuggling, and
corruption have arisen, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW), which has asked diamond
retailers to publicly commit to not purchasing or selling diamonds from Zimbabwe.
In June 2009, HRW published their report Diamonds in the Rough, which detailed the
violations being committed in Zimbabwe surrounding conflict diamonds. HRW’s Africa
director Georgette Gagnon told MediaGlobal, “Our information is that the situation
has not changed much in the [Marange] diamond fields.”
The lack of significant improvement of the situation has troubled the diamond industry.
Eli Izhakoff, president of the WDC, delivered a keynote speech to the World Jewellery
Confederation (CIBJO) congress in the German city of Munich on February 21 and called
for decisive action to end the intolerable situation occurring in the Marange diamond
fields. Izhakoff said the world’s diamond community cannot idly stand by, and that
using the Kimberley Process — a joint effort amongst governments, industry, and
civil society to stop the flow of conflict diamonds — is still the most effective
way to combat the criminal acts occurring in the region.
The Kimberley Process (KP) imposes extensive requirements to prevent conflict diamonds
— diamonds used by rebel groups to finance wars — from entering legitimate trade.
The eight-year-old United Nations-backed agreement, only allows participants of
the KP to trade between themselves, ensuring that their diamonds have a KP-certificate
guaranteeing the diamonds are conflict-free.
Opponents challenge the KP’s ability to keep conflict diamonds from entering the
market. Martin Rapaport, chairman of the Rapaport Group — which supports the development
of free, fair, efficient, and competitive diamond markets — helped start the KP
and now argues against its effectiveness to help Zimbabwe. “The Kimberley Process
is utterly useless when it comes to dealing with the situation in Zimbabwe,” Rapaport
told MediaGlobal.
Rapaport stated that a technicality in the KP’s language presents a major flaw and
loophole. The KP only identifies diamonds mined by rebel groups and not by abusive
governments as conflict diamonds. Gagnon also pointed out that a key change to the
KP is to add governments, “The way the KP categorizes diamonds, they do not include
diamonds mined by bad governments in situations of conflict.” This disparity has
allowed diamonds from Zimbabwe to enter the markets. “The Kimberley Process is being
used to legitimize blood diamonds,” Rapaport said.
Gagnon wants the KP to take a more proactive stance to stop Zimbabwe’s conflict
diamonds from intermingling with regular diamonds. She said, “Just because you have
a KP certificate doesn’t mean the diamond is clean and that’s the main problem.”
In his speech, Izhakoff said the Kimberley Process has shined a bright light on
the allegedly criminal activities in Zimbabwe. Drawing attention to the situation
is not enough for the KP’s detractors. “There’s nothing in the Kimberley Process
about human rights abuses,” emphasized Rapaport. He explained that there is a false
perception in the diamond industry that the KP addresses the issue of human rights.
According to Rapaport the global diamond industry is in danger if the human rights
abuses continue, causing an increase in conflict diamonds. He said that it is up
to the diamond industry to take responsibility to stop Marange diamonds, which are
being funneled through the Congo and South Africa.
HRW wants the KP to do what it’s supposed to and they have advocated for changes,
said Gagnon. “We made a number of recommendations to the Kimberley Process related
specifically towards the case in Zimbabwe.” Gagnon continued to say, “that there
are things the Kimberley Process can do to ensure that blood diamonds are not getting
through.” Rapaport proposed that the United Nations Security Council pass a resolution
to place an embargo on Zimbabwe diamonds, a plan he believes will work.
Whether arguing for or against the Kimberley Process, both sides agree that immediate
action must be taken to end the human rights abuses surrounding the Marange diamonds.
Izhakoff called for international institutions to stop the violence and to prosecute
those accused of illegal acts. The people who wield the most power to stop the conflict
are consumers Rapaport said. “It’s up to the people who buy diamonds. The purchasing
power of the consumer is the ultimate weapon to stop blood diamonds.”
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