What are conflict free diamonds and where are they sourced?

As defined by the United Nations Security Council, “Conflict Diamonds are rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance conflict aimed at undermining legitimate governments”. Conflict diamonds, also named ‘Blood Diamonds’, have fuelled conflict, civil wars and human rights abuse around the world, ultimately leading to countless innocent lives lost. Hence, conflict free diamonds are diamonds that have been certified to prove that they have no part in this movement, nor do they fund any such activities.

Statistics illustrate the shocking realities of the affects of conflict diamonds globally. Countries including Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone and Liberia have all been victims of brutal civil war resulting in countless fatalities. The Democratic Republic of Congo was only recently free of the civil war, which lasted between 1998-2003. There is, however, still continued insecurity over the safety and stability of the country. More than 3.3 million people were violently killed as a result of rebel groups, who were supported by neighbouring countries, competing for diamond areas in the northeast.

In 2000, the South African Government invited major diamond trading and producing countries, representatives of the diamond industry, and NGO’s to meet in Kimberley, South Africa to discuss plans to cease the trade of conflict diamonds. After three years of negotiating, The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme was put into action in 2003 and was officially endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Security Council.

The Kimberley Process “aims to prevent the flow of conflict diamonds, while helping to protect legitimate trade in rough diamonds” as assured by the Official Kimberley Process website.  The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme set out extensive requirements to certify the shipment of rough diamonds as conflict free. Participants in the Kimberley Process must meet ‘minimum requirements’ and establish national legislation, export, import and internal movement controls, and must agree to share statistical data. Members of the Kimberley Process are only legally allowed to trade with fellow members who have also met the minimum requirements outlined by the scheme and all shipping of international rough diamonds must have a certificate which certifies it, by the Kimberley process, as conflict free.

It is believed that 99% of all diamonds are now conflict free and traded under the Kimberley Process. Even though the Kimberley Process has dramatically decreased the trade in conflict diamonds, in 2007, 74 Governments, leading NGO’s and the World Diamond Council agreed on measures to further strengthen the Kimberley Process. In November 2008, the Kimberley Process had 49 members, representative of 75 countries, (the European Community counting as one participant). In terms of where conflict free diamonds are sourced, any countries that participate and follow the strict regulations of the Kimberley Process can be classed as conflict free diamonds.

The Conflict Free Diamond Council provides guidelines to help consumers buy a conflict free diamond. For example; ‘The diamond must be mined, cut, and polished in the same region or territory without crossing any national borders, must be laser engraved with a serial number, then scanned and recorded in a confidential, centralized database. The facilities where the diamond is mined, cut, and polished must adhere to global labour and fair wage laws and must employ local residents’.