WDC: Failure of the Kimberley Process is not an option

Speaking during the opening session of the Kimberley Process plenary meeting, World Diamond Council Chairman Eli Izhakoff said failure of the Kimberley Process is not an option for the diamond industry or countries it supports.

Izhakoff called this week's meeting the most important since the implementation of the Kimberley Process (KP).

"Over the next few days, it will become clear whether or not this unique collaboration of governments, civil society and the international diamond industry—on which many of us have labored so hard over the past six years—has successfully secured the future of this international agreement to eradicate conflict diamonds," he stated.

He noted how millions of people—including those from developing countries—depend on the diamond industry for their livelihoods.

"We in the diamond industry acknowledge that to ensure a sustainable future for ourselves, countries such as Botswana, the other diamond-producing countries and critically those countries recovering from conflict, the industry must act responsibly and ensure that our business is both transparent and accountable," he said.

Izhakoff scoffed at critics who say the diamond industry doesn't support a robust and effective certification scheme.

"This is an absurd and unjust view that, in any case, defies logic," he said. "This is an industry that, more than most, is dependent on safeguarding consumer confidence."

Given that the KP is the industry's primary safeguard, he said the international diamond industry "believes that a workable and effective Kimberley Process is absolutely essential if we and the millions of people who depend on this industry are to be properly protected from criminal activity and rebel or terrorists organizations that have no interest whatsoever in protecting the lives of innocents, in business ethics or in sustainable development in Africa."

He added that the industry would not tolerate such behavior and he urged participant governments to bring those who commit violations to justice.

In addition to noting the importance of the KP, Izhakoff also said the plenary must first and foremost agree on a resolution to deal with the reports that diamonds are being smuggled from Ivory Coast into neighboring countries, as well as "urgent and immediate action" to investigate other alleged violations of the KP in other participating countries.

Among these is a report issued this week by non-governmental organization Partnership Africa Canada that says diamond smuggling is taking place in Venezuela.

Izhakoff also addressed the success of peer review missions, noting that for civil society to continue to participate in these there must be funding.

He also called on participating governments to increase their oversight of the System of Warranties, ensuring that the issue and receipt of these is being recorded and properly verified by companies' external auditors.

Izhakoff concluded by saying that the KP is not on the verge of collapse, but that it is at a crossroads: "If we are to build on its success, we must redouble our efforts, here in Gaborone, to ensure that we have a system that will not yield under the scrutiny of a public that rightly demands not just our best efforts but progress and success. As I said in the beginning, for the international diamond industry and all of its dependents around the world, failure is not an option."