KP Annual Meeting Opens, A Change in Conflict Definition is Not Expected

(IDEX Online News) – The annual Kimberley Process Plenary opened in Washington, DC yesterday (Tuesday). The key goal of host and current KP Chair of broadening the definition of Conflict Diamonds is not expected to pass, a failure for the U.S.

The three-day meeting will approve a number of other resolutions, including a vote to appoint South Africa as Chair in 2013. The U.S. has been pushing hard to adopt a new definition that will broaden the definition of conflict diamonds beyond rough diamonds mined or traded by rebel forces.

Several KP members have actively opposed any changes, mainly African countries. Several other key countries expressed support, however mainly for diplomatic reasons only. They felt that from the point of view of their local diamond industry, change is not beneficial, leading only to added costs.

Ambassador Gillian Milovanovic, the Chair of the Kimberley Process "took on a massively complicated and sensitive task when she was appointed KP Chair," said Eli Izhakoff, President of the World Diamond Council, in his address to the Plenary.

The drive to change the definition resulted in a growing riff in the global diamond industry. Seeing their efforts failing, the U.S. Department of State backed industry organization Jewelers of America in proposing an unofficial, voluntary diamond segregation system, the Diamond Source Warranty Protocol.

The proposal failed after it was surprisingly introduced without first attempting to achieve broad support in the international diamond community.

Izhakoff attacked the initiative Tuesday, saying "[I]f we begin to differentiate between KP certificates, implying that one may be more legitimate than the other, then we will undermine consumer confidence in general."

"The goal of ensuring an ethical chain of distribution needs to be fully inclusive, but it does not mean that, in formulating equitable international solutions, we automatically should conform to the lowest common denominator."