Zimbabwe taken to task under ‘Kimberley Process’

The European Community (EC) has endorsed the November decision of the ‘Kimberley Process’ (KP) - the international forum set up to clamp down on trade in ‘conflict diamonds’ - requesting that Zimbabwe puts in place an ‘’action plan’ in the Marange mining area where mining activities have allegedly caused violence and human rights violations.

At the recent KP meeting in Swakopmund, Namibia, 2-5 November, Zimbabwe made a commitment to ring diamond mining in Marange in compliance with the minimum requirements and to subject exports of Marange diamonds to independent verification pending full compliance with the Kimberley process, say EC officials.

In a statement, the EC urged Zimbabwe to start implementation of the agreed ‘action plan’ without delay.

“Zimbabwe needs to devote substantial effort and resources to that effect.The EC will actively contribute to the monitoring of the action plan as a key element to protect the integrity of the Kimberley Process and ensure that Marange diamonds contribute to Zimbabwe's economic development and do not fuel further violence and human rights violations,” read an EC statement issued 13 November.

It added: “The EC further calls on the Kimberley Process participants to improve regional cooperation and implement international vigilance measures in order to contain the flow of illicit diamonds from Marange.”

The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme for diamonds now has 49 Participants (adding up to 75 countries; the European Community counting as a single participant), including all major diamond producing, trading and polishing centres. Civil society and industry groups are also active in the process.
The ‘Process’ started up following discussions in May 2000 in Kimberley, South Africa among interested governments, the international diamond industry and civil society. It was an initiative to combat ‘conflict diamonds’ or rough diamonds which were being used to finance devastating conflicts in some of Africa’s diamond-producing countries, also now commonly known as ‘blood diamonds’.
In November 2002, an agreement was reached on the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). This requires all participants to control all imports and exports of rough diamonds and to put in place rigorous internal controls over production and trade to ensure that conflict diamonds could not enter the legal diamond trade. In a few years, the Kimberley Process has helped to reduce the amount of conflict diamonds to a tiny fraction of world trade, say EC officials. It is backed by the United Nations; and the General Assembly renewed its support most recently in December 2008.

Operation Hakudzowki

EC officials say that the Government of Zimbabwe launched in November 2007 operation Hakudzwoki (no return), deploying considerable military resources to take control of the Marange diamond fields.Operation Hakudzowki was publicly associated in the press with reports of violence and human rights abuses, which have been denied by the Government. In response to developments in Marange, the KP adopted a double-track approach, developing specific measures to contain the flow of illicit diamonds (international vigilance and regional cooperation against smuggling), and responding to reports of smuggling and violence (public statement expressing ‘growing concerns at the reports of violence and indications of smuggling in the Marange mining area’, sending of a KP High-level envoy in March 2009). EC officials say that a KP review mission visited Zimbabwe in July 2009 and concluded that there were, ‘indications of serious non-compliance’ with KP requirements and further raised questions as to Zimbabwe’s position in the KP.

In a statement, the EC also welcomed the adoption of a decision to increase oversight of Guinea's diamond production and trade. It said that it also fully supports the continued monitoring of diamond production in Côte d'Ivoire, in light of UN Security Council Resolution 1893 (2009).

The Kimberley Process has developed a number of tools to enable implementation assessment and other issues which may arise. These include regular statistical reporting, annual reports and other compliance verification measures, such as review missions to participants where there are ‘credible indications of significant non-compliance’, say EC officials.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been selected as 2011 Kimberley Process Chair.

For further details on the EU’s participation in the KP see:
http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/blood_diamonds/index_en.htm