What is the Kimberley Process?
The Kimberley Process (KP) is a joint governments, industry and civil society initiative to stem the flow of conflict diamonds – rough diamonds used by rebel movements to finance wars against legitimate governments. The trade in these illicit stones has fuelled decades of devastating conflicts in countries such as Angola, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone.
The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) imposes extensive requirements on its members to enable them to certify shipments of rough diamonds as ‘conflict-free’. As of September 2007, the KP has 48 members, representing 74 countries, with the European Community and its Member States counting as an individual participant.
On the Agenda
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United Nations General Assembly adopts resolution supporting the work of the KP by consensus
Read the resolution. Mr Karel Kovanda, as KP Chair, held a speech in which he applauded KP participants for their pragmatic approach to solving problems and the UN for being a source of encouragement to improve the Kimberley Process. Read the full text of this speech. You can find a summary of the UNGA debate on the role of diamonds in fuelling conflict here. -
2007 plenary in Brussels further consolidates the Kimberley Process
More than 300 delegates met in Brussels at the plenary meeting hosted by the European Community as KP chair 2007. Among the results are the re-admission of the Republic of Congo and an initiative to improve regional cooperation on rough diamonds from Cote d'Ivoire. The plenary endorsed the Brussels Declaration on internal controls of Participants with rough diamond trading and manufacturing which gives guidance on controls for record keeping, spot checks of trading companies, physical inspections of imports and exports and maintenance of verifiable records of rough diamond inventories.
Read the final communique
Read the Chair's closing remarks
