OECD to Consider 'Building on KP' Initiative

(IDEX Online News) – The OECD is scheduled to discuss the suggested Diamond System Warranty Protocol (DSWP) in an upcoming meeting to be held later this month. The meeting aims to add diamonds to the “OECD’s Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains.”

The meeting, as first disclosed by Chaim Even-Zohar, is organized by U.S. State Department's Conflict Diamond Advisor Brad Brooks-Rubin with the help of Jewelers of America, who developed the diamond protocol.

The agenda for the meeting, (below) was developed by Global Witness, the NGO that was part of the Kimberley Process civil society coalition, but left it saying KP failed.

While a dialogue with the OECD has possible far-reaching implications or the trade, key elected leaders were not clearly aware of the meeting – or invited to it. This includes, for example, the president of the diamond exchanges.

Quite a few diamond industry leaders expressed "utter amazement – and even anger" that a small self-appointed mixed government, civil society and "extremely limited diamond industry group" approached the OECD "supposedly on behalf of the overall diamond industry," Even Zohar wrote. "The OECD says it is responding to 'industry stakeholders.'”

According to Even Zohar, the purpose of the OECD Guidance is to help companies respect human rights and avoid contributing to conflict through their sourcing decisions, including the choice of their suppliers.

The guidance is intended to serve as a common reference for suppliers in the mineral supply chain and any industry-driven schemes which may be developed, in order to clarify expectations concerning the nature of responsible supply chain management of minerals from conflict-affected and high-risk areas.

"It is Chain of Custody in a different way," he writes. "The jewelers will themselves get the tools to ensure that the products they purchase are from responsible supply sources.