British Foreign Office Sets Up Diamond Department

The British Foreign Office decided to set up a diamond department to enforce the Kimberley Process. The new department, to work with Customs & Excise, is one of the first actions taken to implement the process that was adopted yesterday.

Bill Rammell, a foreign office minister, told the Financial Times earlier this week that the agreement is a "decisive moment" in efforts to end the illegal exploitation of diamonds.

Governments role in the process is essential if it’s to succeed. The US has already introduced legislation and countries such as Israel, Belgium and India, that play a major role in the diamond business, already have governmental entities in place to supervise the diamond trade in and out of their countries.