Julie Bishop, Australia's Foreign Minister introduced the resolution, commenting that 15 years ago the diamond industry looked very different to that of today. Not only were diamonds mined in war zones, consumers had almost no way of knowing the source of the diamonds in the jewelry they bought.
The Kimberley Process has cut the amount of conflict diamonds in the global supply chain to less than 0.2% from around 4% at the peak of the conflicts, according to the KP.
Bishop noted that younger buyers were much more concerned with responsibly sourced goods. She said the international trade should see how it can ensure that it is not supporting human rights abuses and forced labor.
Stephane Fischler, Acting President of the World Diamond Council, told a UN panel discussion on the Kimberley Process and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that the KP is the first mineral-based global body which has worked to dealing with armed conflicts.
Fischler said the KP has contributed to peace and security and supported and created employment and livelihoods for millions of people.
The WDC is the voice of industry for the KP and an Official Observer of the Process. Fischler said, “The KP is the first ever mineral-based global mechanism to contribute to settling armed conflicts and has, over its relatively young life, significantly contributed to peace and security. In doing so, it enabled the diamond industry to support and create employment, income and livelihoods for millions of people. But the threat of instability and conflict remains and our work is not over. This important KP review period gives us the opportunity to address contemporary challenges facing the diamond industry and implement reforms to protect the human rights, freedoms and development of people who depend on the diamond trade.”
During the panel discussion, Fischler provided opening remarks and reaffirmed industry’s commitment to the KP, while also reinforcing areas for reform to ensure continued success that included:
Broadening the scope of the KP to increase the likelihood of safe and secure working conditions, fair labor practices and sustainable development in diamond communities;
Establishing a permanent secretariat in a neutral country to strengthen long-term implementation of the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme;
Strengthening the KPCS minimum standards by making the peer review mechanism stronger.
