Today, thanks to a certification-of-origins system call the Kimberley Process, conflict diamonds account for less than 1% of the global rough-cut stone market, down from double-digit territory in the mid-90s (when they funded wars in countries such as Angola, Liberia and Sierra Leone). This progress was worked into the 2006 DiCaprio flick, which ends as a brutalized artisanal miner is about to address a historic meeting of diamond-producing countries in Kimberley, South Africa. After that 2000 conference, the industry moved to create its self-regulatory system, which is managed by the World Diamond Council and two NGOs, including Partnership Africa Canada (PAC).
But dont count on a long-term Hollywood ending. Judging by recent events, the industrys much-hyped common interest in decoupling diamonds from conflict appears to be as fictional as Archers on-screen transformation into a caring soul. Ottawas Ian Smillie, one of the worlds leading blood-diamond experts and a key architect of the Kimberley Process, resigned as the NGOs representative to the process last summer. When regulators fail to regulate, the systems they were designed to protect collapse, he announced, adding, I can no longer in good faith contribute to a pretense that failure is success.
Until Smillies departure, the Kimberley Process was generally considered effective. But its lack of teeth is shocking. At one point, insiders say, Venezuela was encouraged to withdraw as a member so other countries could avoid dealing with its off-the-books stones. Furthermore, despite increased media attention late last year, the Kimberley Process ignored a call by Human Rights Watch to ban Zimbabwe diamonds from the market. To do that, the regulator had to turn a blind eye to its own report on Zimbabwes failure to comply with certification rules, not to mention the fact that its military controls the countrys mines.
Bernard Taylor, executive director of PAC, admits the system has lost credibility, noting a total breakdown could lead to an explosion of the illicit diamond trade and huge increase in related misery. But there is hope, he says, pointing out that Smillie left his part-time research position with PAC and ended his official involvement with the Kimberley Process because he felt he might have more impact from without.
And his resignation has already helped matters by putting blood diamonds back on the media radar. According to Taylor, PAC remains committed to pushing for significant reforms inside the system with its NGO partner, Global Witness. And with Israel taking on the Kimberley Process chair this year, he thinks there is a chance that some new resolve will be breathed in the process. — Canadian Business.
Post published in: Opinions