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Learning Center  Blood Diamonds The Kimberly Process
The Kimberly Process | The Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) |
| What is the KPCS? | The Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) is a set of measures put in place by the international community in an effort to put a stop to the mining and trade of conflict diamonds. Conflict diamonds are formally defined as rough diamonds which are mined in conflict-torn areas in Africa. More specifically, conflict diamonds are mined by rebel factions in order to raise funds to support their violent campaigns against their governments.
The main objective of the Kimberly Process is to be able to lay down a minimum requirement as to any shipment of rough diamonds all around the world. This minimum requirement revolves around a certification program for both the importation and exportation of rough diamonds. A certificate of origin is the main basis in determining whether or not a rough diamond shipment satisfies the Kimberly Process. This certificate of origin contains information regarding the rough diamond shipment, especially the country where the stones were mined.
| | Background | Though the practice of mining and trading conflict diamonds had been in place for decades, it was only in the year 2000 that concrete steps were taken towards finding a solution to the problem. With diamond producing African countries at the forefront, different key players held the first meeting to address conflict diamonds in May 2000 in Kimberly, South Africa. This was the start of a series of steps that aimed to tackle the conflict diamond trade. All throughout that year, other meetings were held to further develop measures against the trade.
Prior to this, the UN and other civic organizations had already carried out some studies in the war-torn countries in Africa which were known to engage in the conflict diamond trade. As a result in December of the same year, the UN showed its support for the Kimberly Process and drafted Resolution 55/56.
The UN resolution was important in the campaign against the conflict diamond trade as it expanded the scope and reach of the Kimberly Process. As a matter of fact, when the resolution was adopted, more countries all over the world committed to implementing the Kimberly Process.
The Kimberly Process was implemented in January 2003. Participants were given a leeway of 6 months to comply with the standards set in the document. After the allowance period, countries which were not able to comply were stricken off the list of participants.
| | Structure | The Kimberly Process is not merely a document. It is in fact, a movement which has many facets. In order to understand how it works, it would be good to take a quick look into the Kimberly Structure. This is how the movement is organized.
At the head are the Chair and Secretariat. The Chair is in-charge of the overall supervision of the implementation of the Kimberly Process. The responsibility of being the Chair is passed on every year to different participants. The Secretariat takes care of the scheduling of the meetings, the website, and other related tasks.
Every year, participants in the Kimberly Process meet in Plenary. These meetings aim to assess the implementation and effectiveness of the Kimberly Process. The participants also address any issues that have come up during the year. Results of the Plenary are then posted on their website.
The implementation and monitoring of the Kimberly Process falls under the jurisdiction of the Working Groups. The three working groups are as follow: Monitoring, Statistics, and Diamond Experts. The European Community is currently the head of Monitoring, Canada is the chair of Statistics, and the World Diamond Council is the head of Diamond Experts.
The Kimberly Process has two committees – the Participation Committee and the Selection Committee. The former is tasked with assisting the chair with admission of new participants while the latter is tasked with the assessment and review of candidates for the Vice-Chair. Canada is the chair for the Participation Committee while the Russian Federation is the chair for the Selection Committee.
| | Participants | At present, there are 45 countries who meet the requirements set by the Kimberly Process. As such, they are considered participants. They are as follow:
1. Angola
2. Armenia
3. Australia
4. Belarus
5. Botswana
6. Brazil
7. Bulgaria
8. Canada
9. Central African Republic
10. China
11. Congo
12. Cote D’Ivoire
13. Croatia
14. European Community
15. Ghana
16. Guinea
17. Guyana
18. India
19. Indonesia
20. Israel
21. Japan
22. Korea, Republic of
23. Lao, Democratic Republic of
24. Lebanon
25. Lesotho
26. Malaysia
27. Mauritius
28. Namibia
29. Norway
30. Romania
31. Russian Federation
32. Sierra Leone
33. Singapore
34. South Africa
35. Sri Lanka
36. Switzerland
37. Tanzania
38. Thailand
39. Togo
40. Ukraine
41. United Arab Emirates
42. United States of America
43. Venezuela
44. Vietnam
45. Zimbabwe
| | Salient Points of the Scheme | The main point of the Kimberly Process is that each participant should ensure that each shipment of rough diamonds should have a Kimberly Process Certificate. This Certificate is the minimum requirement. In addition to this, each participant is expected to establish its own internal system of controls. The aim of these internal measures is primarily to eradicate the presence of conflict diamonds in each participating territory. The importation, exportation, and transit of rough diamonds should be overseen by a distinct entity (such as an Importing and Exporting Authority).
Furthermore, the Kimberly Process sets down requirements regarding the containers for shipment of rough diamonds. It requires that the containers be tamper resistant. With each shipment, information should be collected so as to enable tracking and monitoring. This data should then be available for exchange with other participants.
| | Implementation | As with so many other initiatives, the Kimberly Process has noble ideals. In paper, it is the ultimate solution to the problem of conflict diamonds. Yet in reality, this paper would not mean anything unless real people do something about it. The system of controls is meant to be implemented. Of course, there is always a chink in any armor. People are bribed, people look away. The real success of the Kimberly Process lies in the hands of common people who have the power to do their part in this campaign against conflict diamonds.
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