At the closing session of the 2021 Kimberley Process (KP) Plenary on November 12, World Diamond Council (WDC) president Edward Asscher was encouraged by the KP’s constructive discussions and its welcoming of a Declaration of Supporting Principles for Responsible Diamond Sourcing.
Although a concrete decision around the expansion of the conflict diamond definition, which WDC has pleaded for many times, has not materialised, there have at least been positive steps towards stemming the flow of conflict diamonds.
“We always seek to support journeys of continuous improvement, and so we will continue to push for progress. The WDC will place the conflict diamond definition as a priority item when the KP begins its next review cycle,” Asscher said.
In the absence of a clearer, more encompassing conflict diamond definition, the WDC advocates for the take-up of its System of Warranties guiding principle.
Further, Asscher expressed the industry’s support for suspending the expansion of green zones in the Central African Republic, from where rough diamonds can be legally exported, until such time that it can be verified that the KP Certification Scheme can be reliably implemented in currently noncompliant parts of the country.
“It is our fervent hope that your entire country will be considered a ‘green zone’ in the not too distant future, and we will do whatever we can as the WDC to support progress towards that. It is an eventuality that your citizens and the communities in which they live deserve.
“But as I stated, the rules and procedures of the KP must take priority. They ultimately are what will make this happen. If we take shortcuts, we endanger the entire framework, and consequently the future of our product and your country’s wellbeing.”