Kimberley Process review mission to Ghana

The Kimberley Process (KP), chaired by the European Community in 2007, is sending a review mission to Ghana to assess efforts to combat conflict diamonds. The mission is headed by Canada, with representatives of the European Community, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Diamond Council and civil society (Global Witness). The mission will take place with the full co-operation of the Ghanaian authorities and in collaboration with the United Nations in view of the UN ban on diamonds from Côte d'Ivoire. The mission will focus on improving Ghana's internal controls in a bid to tackle the last remaining case of conflict diamonds, and thus contribute to the stabilisation of West Africa.

The Kimberley Process constantly monitors the UN ban on diamonds from Côte d'Ivoire, and, in 2006, a joint UN/KP mission to the country reported that Ivorian conflict diamonds might be passing through Ghana. The Kimberley Process acted swiftly and the KP Gaborone Plenary, in November 2006, took a Decision calling on Ghana to implement an action plan to remedy the situation and strengthen controls over its diamond industry.

In recent months KP technical experts have visited Ghana to examine exports and provide technical assistance in the implementation of the action plan. Ghana has requested an inspection visit, to demonstrate the robustness of their control systems and their commitment to the Kimberley Process.

The review mission announced today will travel to Ghana to assess the implementation of these measures and verify Ghana's compliance with the minimum KP requirements, so that all necessary measures are taken to ensure that conflict diamonds from Côte d'Ivoire do not pass through Ghana or any other KP member.

The European Community is committed, as Chair of the Kimberley Process in 2007, to support effective implementation of controls by all participants and to deepen the close co-operation with the UN with a view to promoting peace and security in Africa.

Background

The Kimberley Process grew out of discussions in May 2000 in Kimberley, South Africa among interested governments, the international diamond industry and civil society, as a unique initiative to combat 'conflict diamonds' - rough diamonds used to finance devastating conflicts in the 1990s in some of Africa's diamond-producing countries. The Kimberley Process is backed by the United Nations; in December 2000, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution supporting the creation of an international certification scheme for rough diamonds, renewed most recently in December 2006.

In November 2002, an agreement was reached on the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS): an innovative system imposing extensive requirements on all Participants to control all imports and exports of rough diamonds and to put in place rigorous internal controls over production and trade to ensure that conflict diamonds could not enter the legal diamond trade. In four years, the Kimberley Process has helped to reduce the amount of conflict diamonds to less than 1% of world trade.

The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme now has 44 Participants (71 countries with the European Community counting as a single Participant), including all major diamond producing, trading and polishing centres, and counts on the active participation of civil society and industry groups.

For details, see the EU & the Kimberley Process:
http://ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relations/kimb/intro/index.htm

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