Industry calling for swift action on Zimbabwe

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Industry calling for swift action on Zimbabwe

November 18, 2009

New York--Jewelers of America (JA) is calling on the Kimberley Process (KP) to fully and quickly implement a work plan to address the serious concerns surrounding Zimbabwe's non-compliance with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), the system designed to keep conflict diamonds out of the international trade, and the reported human rights abuses in the Marange diamond fields.

The work plan would be one that is agreed on between the KP and the government of Zimbabwe.

According to the media release issued on Wednesday, JA has kept a close eye on the recent KP plenary meeting that took place in Namibia, noting that the KP review mission that visited the country over the summer indicated significant non-compliance with even the most basic requirements of the KP.

On Nov. 5, after great debate, the KP decided against suspending Zimbabwe from the KP and instead decided to implement a 12-month work plan that specifically targets exports of rough diamonds from the Marange fields.

"Jewelers of America continues to support the Kimberley Process, which has been vital to maintaining consumer confidence in diamonds since it was first implemented in 2003," JA President and Chief Executive Officer Matthew A. Runci said in the release. "However, we are disappointed with how the KP has handled the situation in Zimbabwe, believing more decisive action was widely expected at the plenary meeting."

That being said, JA believes the work plan, if implemented fully and quickly, is a step in the right direction.

The organization also fully supports the U.S. Department of State, which has called for the "full and expeditious implementation of the stringent controls" that were agreed upon at the plenary.

The work plan dictates that all rough-diamond shipments from the Marange region will be suspended until a KP monitor is in place. Once the monitor is in place, all exports from the region must bear the monitor's signature on the KP certificate.

Shortly after JA issued its statement on Zimbabwe, the presidents of the International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA) and the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) issued a statement emphasizing their unequivocal commitment and determination to uphold the KPCS.

In their statement, the presidents, who just concluded their annual meeting in Antwerp, Belgium, said that after intensive discussions, they resolved to send a clear message to the players in the diamond supply chain.

"IDMA and WFDB reconfirm their commitment to end and prevent the use of rough diamonds for the purpose of funding conflict, anywhere in the world. We reiterate that our endorsement of the Kimberley Process, the World Diamond Council and the Supportive System of Warranties remains strong," their statement reads.

Like JA, the IDMA and the WFDB called for full and timely implementation of the controls discussed at the recent KP meeting in Namibia.

They noted the decision of Zimbabwe not to export any rough diamonds from Marange pending full implementation of the monitoring system and said, "Any member who trades in rough diamonds from Marange prior to the full implementation of this monitoring system and in full compliance of the KP resolution will be subject to expulsion."

JA has updated its member guidance on conflict diamonds to address specific questions about Zimbabwe. Members can read the updates by visiting the "Responsible Business Practices" section of Jewelers.org.

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