Remarks by Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, at Annual General Meeting of the World Diamond Council
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to thank the World Diamond Council and the United States Jewelry Council for the invitation to address this distinguished audience.
Looking back, the diamond industry has for many years been perceived by general public as a closed business. Moreover, it entered the New Millennium in an alarming state of disorder. Diamonds were used to fuel regional armed conflicts in mining countries on the African continent. Trade in so-called “conflict diamonds” undermined efforts to maintain political stability, peace and security in mining areas and beyond. Thus, the reputation of the diamond business was at its lowest.
In 2000, the threat of a possible ban on any international trade in diamonds brought the African diamond-producing nations together in Kimberley, South Africa. For the first time ways of curbing the trade in conflict diamonds were discussed. The idea was to create a mechanism to ensure that diamond revenues would not be used to finance rebel movements and insurgents trying to overthrow legitimate governments.
It was the United Nations General Assembly that supported this initiative and adopted a landmark resolution endorsing the creation of an international certification scheme for rough diamonds. That is how the Kimberley Process (KP) originated, ultimately resulting in the creation of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) that entered into force in 2003.
Ever since, the UN General Assembly has reconfirmed its support for the KPCS on a yearly basis. To date, the diamond industry can rightfully say that the widespread adoption of the KP mechanisms by participating countries allowed to virtually eliminate the notion of “conflict diamonds” from international trade. And I’m proud to emphasize a huge contribution that Russia has made over the years to the KP both in terms of developing the diamond trade and in terms of building its regulation system.
It is important to underline that it was not only governments, but the diamond business itself that played a crucial role in drafting the KPCS and its further implementation by the industry through a voluntary system of self-regulation. These responsible efforts were welcomed by the UN Security Council in 2003. Today, the World Diamond Council (WDC) is a strong lobbyist and a rightful representative of the entire industry in the KP, a vital pillar of its work.
The KP and the WDC are vivid examples of how various international actors – governments, businesses and civil society can come together and reach consensus despite all the instability of modern global politics. The lessons learned from the KP show that there’s always a way forward once you understand a common goal and have the courage to cast away narrow ambitions. International efforts to address the problem of conflict diamonds provided a favorable setting for the settlement of armed conflicts and consolidation of peace in Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone. In today's world, there are very few areas where the problem of conflict diamonds stands out critically. Recently, the KP, with WDC’s active support, has been contributing to seeking a resolution to the armed conflict in the Central African Republic which is slowly returning to civilized trade in rough diamonds after the embargo was lifted.
Russia, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, reaffirms its strong and continuing support for the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme and the Kimberley Process as a whole.
However, there’s still a lot of work to be done. The international diamond community must continue to evolve and address new challenges if it wants to secure its rightful place in the global market. This requires measures that further develop responsible business practices, self-regulation and supply chain transparency in the industry. Deeper understanding of “conflict diamond” implications is vital for the future of your industry. KPCS, in this instance, must continue to be a solid foundation upon which new industry initiatives can be built. For a global industry like yours it is important to avoid selective and unilateral approaches that tend to bypass the KP system.
Russia stands ready to contribute to modernizing the WDC System of Warranties. At the end of the day, maintaining full transparency and effective information sharing with all relevant stakeholders is an important part of efforts aimed at protecting the market from risks posed by conflict diamonds.
To achieve these goals, it is of great importance for the WDC to have more contact with the UN and its relevant bodies. The UN is the main international forum for developing basic principles and standards of socio-economic, humanitarian and environmental cooperation, including those related to the diamond industry.
I wish you success in your work during the current Annual General Meeting and beyond.
Thank you.
