Kimberley Process stalls again on conflict diamonds

The Kimberley Process (KP) has failed for a third straight year to agree on an expanded definition of conflict diamonds after a five-day plenary in Dubai.

Delegates from 86 member countries arrived with expectations that long-delayed reforms might finally advance. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, pressure has intensified to modernize the definition of conflict diamonds, and media reports suggested negotiators were close to a breakthrough.

A proposal, put forward by the African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA), to broaden the definition of conflict diamonds was blocked by Australia, Canada, the European Union, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

The Western nations instead wanted to specifically address the issue of Russian diamonds funding the war in Ukraine, arguing that the existing definition and the ADPA proposal didn’t go far enough to capture the evolving nature of modern conflicts. 

Russia 

Russia ranks first globally in diamond production by volume, producing the largest number of carats annually, and is also the world’s largest exporter of rough diamonds. The country has the world’s biggest reserves and diamond mining is dominated by the state-owned company Alrosa. 

In previous discussions and public statements related to the Kimberley Process, Russia, the Central African Republic and Mali have contended that the conflict in Ukraine and its associated diamond trade issues are geopolitical matters and outside the specific scope of the KP’s mandate.

The ADPA aimed to expand the definition beyond its current scope of “rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance conflict aimed at undermining legitimate governments”. The ADPA sought to include diamonds associated with state-sponsored violence or human rights abuses, which would cover a broader range of conflicts. 

Council ‘regret’

The World Diamond Council (WDC) said it felt profound regret that a small group of participants blocked consensus on its most ambitious overhaul in more than two decades. Council president Feriel Zerouki opened the meeting by warning that the KP stood at a crossroads and urged members to move the system forward. 

The WDC meant to better protect Africa’s diamond-mining communities. Its Review and Reform Committee had spent three years crafting a proposal that was shared repeatedly and never challenged.

The group said progress was halted not over evidence or language but because a few members pushed the KP to intervene in matters beyond its authority, including state decisions and national security. Zerouki said that stance signalled that the safety of African miners mattered less than that of others.

The fresh setback came as outside critics intensified scrutiny of the KP. Earlier in the month, IMPACT, an organization that oversees natural resources management in areas where human rights violations are a concern, released a statement arguing that the KP’s structure and track record make it a poor model for responsible mineral governance.