Sommaire: EU Statement - Role of Diamonds in Fuelling Conflict (4 December 2006: New York)
Statement on behalf of the European Union, by Mr. Ángel Carro Castrillo, Deputy Head European Commission Delegation to the United Nations, Item 10: The Role of Diamonds in Fuelling Conflict, General Assembly 61st session , UNITED NATIONS, New York
Madam President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union.
The Acceding Countries Bulgaria and Romania, the Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and the EFTA county Iceland, member of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova align themselves with this declaration.
Madam President,
Let me first of all welcome the excellent report of the Chair of the Kimberly Process.
The annual debate on the role of diamonds in fuelling conflict is an important opportunity for us to take stock of the progress made by the international community through the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) in combating the scourge of conflict diamonds. This year we can of course draw on the findings of the KPCS's own internal review, based on the submissions of its Participant countries, civil society, industry and, importantly, some of the UN missions on the ground in countries
which have suffered the curse of conflict diamonds.
The core finding of this review is that the KPCS remains necessary. The peace in some of the countries affected by conflict diamonds, such as the DRC and Sierra Leone, remains all too fragile, and the UN diamond embargoes against Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire would be far less effective if there were no KPCS.
The review also found that the KPCS is effective. Not watertight and not perfect, but nonetheless effective in fulfilling its mandate. We can now say, albeit with the appropriate caveats about the difficulties of assessing the amount of illegal trade, that less than 0.2% of the world trade in rough diamonds is composed of conflict diamonds, i.e. Ivorian and Liberian production. With the lifting of UN sanctions against Liberia, which we expect will come soon, and its admission into the KPCS,
that percentage will fall still further - to 0.1% of the total world trade, a tiny fraction of the estimated 4%-plus it was in the 1990s. That is a remarkable improvement, measured best not in terms of carats but by its effect on people's lives.
We should also not neglect the KPCS's deterrent effect, although that is of course harder to measure. Potential rebels now know it will be that much harder to sell conflict diamonds, and that they will have to take a deep discount in price to do so, operating in wholly illegal markets. The KPCS, along with other mechanisms, such as targeted sanctions against those accused of financing rebel movements through illegal exploitation of trade and conflict diamonds, can thus contribute to a more
stable environment in the countries concerned.
The review also concluded that the KPCS's flexible structure has served it well, allowing it to focus on the issues, rather than institutional questions. We think this makes it a real model for the international community, of a mechanism that was established relatively swiftly and focused on practical and pragmatic solutions, drawing strength from its legitimacy, inclusiveness and peer pressure, as well as from the access it offers to the international rough diamond trade. The KPCS may prove
inspiration for dealing with other 'conflict resources', recognizing the specificities of each context.
The review did recommend a number of improvements that could be made to the KPCS. Taking forward implementation of these recommendations will be a key challenge for next year.
Another major challenge will be dealing with the situation of diamond production in the northern, rebel-held part of Côte d'Ivoire. The Kimberley Process has co-operated closely with the United Nations on this issue. The situation continues to present a very significant challenge to the KPCS, and indeed to peace and security in West Africa.
In the case of Ghana, the KP has come up with an innovative way to respond to the finding by the UN's group of experts that Ivorian diamonds may be being exported out of Ghana with a KP Certificate. This solution protects the credibility of the KPCS by providing a temporary mechanism to ensure that only Ghanaian origin stones are exported with Ghanaian Kimberley certificates, while protecting Ghana's legitimate miners. Ghana will have a fair chance to improve its implementation, and will be
assessed after three months by a peer review mission.
Madam President,
Cooperation with the United Nations on this issue is crucial, as shown by these examples and we hope that the close working relationship between the KP and relevant bodies of the UN on this issue will continue over the course of the coming year.
There could be no better indication of the importance of the KPCS, and its inclusiveness, than the continuing number of countries interested in applying to join. In this past year, New Zealand and Bangladesh have joined, and there are a number of others in line.
We are delighted to see the continuing progress in the KPCS's innovative 'peer review' system, which has seen virtually every Participant, and some applicants, invite on the ground monitoring and assessment of its implementation. As the KP matures, it is starting to develop greater confidence, demonstrated by the decision at the recent Gaborone Plenary to start publishing its own statistics on the international diamond trade. We hope that people will look at these data, and analyse them, and
come to us if they think they indicate possible implementation issues.
As for technical cooperation, the Process, under the effective co-ordination of the United States, has made good progress, in ensuring that appropriate technical assistance, including training and geological production assessments, is made available to meet identified needs.
Madam President,
The EU would like to express its gratitude to Botswana for the leadership it has displayed as Chair during the past year. Its authority has derived from its own unquestioned integrity and strong domestic controls. It has successfully steered through the KP through some turbulent times, to sensible ways forwards on West Africa and the review recommendations, and the EU wishes to add its voice to those of other governments, the international diamond industry and non-governmental organizations in
congratulating Botswana on its achievements.
Botswana, like its predecessors, South Africa, Canada and the Russian Federation, has set high standards indeed for the European Community to live up to as it succeeds to the Chairmanship of the Kimberley Process in 2007. We look forward to working closely with India, which has been appointed Vice-Chair for 2007, all the Participants and Observers in the Kimberley family, and the international community, as we build on past achievements to further strengthen implementation of the KPCS and to
confront the challenges which continue to face us, in particular in respect of Côte d'Ivoire, and others as they arise.
Madam President,
Let me conclude by urging the General Assembly to reiterate its strong support for the Kimberley Process by endorsing the draft Resolution. The prospect of 'conflict diamonds' remain a potential threat in a number of cases, and an actual one in the case of Côte d'Ivoire. The support of the United Nations is necessary for the Kimberley Process to confront successfully these challenges.
Thank you.
*Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.
| Haut |
Etats Membres de l'Union Européenne
Alertes par e-mail
Envoyer par e-mail
Imprimer cette page