Introduction
Diamonds are culturally valued for symbolising love, fidelity, beauty and status. However, for those states engaged in the diamond value chain, diamonds represent much more. They constitute an important part of national economies and can represent an opportunity for development and poverty alleviation. For producer states like South Africa, Namibia and Botswana diamonds have provided vital revenue for national development, whilst for an estimated 1 million artisanal diamond miners globally they represent, for better or worse, a significant livelihood strategy.1 Moreover, national economies and livelihoods in important diamond hubs like Belgium, India, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and China derive sizable benefits from diamonds. These benefits render the health of the global trade in diamonds a shared concern.
Ten years after the launch of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) this paper is the first in a two part series providing an overview of where the Kimberley Process (KP) and international efforts to combat the trade in conflict diamonds currently stand.(1) It will analyse some of the present challenges facing the system and some of the potential solutions on the table. This part (Part I) will provide a broad overview of the issues facing the KP as it steps in 2014. It will start by outlining some of the general developments that have taken place both within the diamond industry and the wider social context since the KPCS’ negotiation. It will then address some of the strengths and weaknesses of the KP as an international certification scheme and an inter-state system more broadly. This entails an assessment of some of the issues surrounding the functioning and scope of the KPCS. Particular attention will be brought to bear on recent demands for the KP to clarify its position vis-à-vis certain human rights issues. Part II, to be published early 2014, will briefly address recent suggestions for a gemstones supplement to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas, and its potential relevance to the KP.
