DB Rejects Gemesis Claims: Diamonds Support African Development
February 24, 05
Diamond Miner De Beers says it is disappointed by the claims made by Diamonds for Humanity attempting to link diamonds with human rights abuses. Diamonds for Humanity is offering Oscar participants its “conflict free” jewelry studded with lab made Gemesis diamonds.
“The claim that diamonds ‘have impeded development in Africa’ is simply wrong,” says De Beers' spokeswoman Lynette Hori. “In fact, diamond revenues support essential programs of national development in stable, democratic countries such as Botswana, South Africa and Namibia.”
To back this, Hori quotes former
According to Tim Martin, Kimberley Process chairman, the overwhelming majority of the world’s rough diamonds (99.8 percent of global rough diamond production) are now sold under the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, designed to eradicate any illicit diamond trade.
Botswana is another case in point. “It’s a shining example of what diamonds can mean for a country,” says Hori. “But it is much more than that. The sound and sensible way it has managed and marketed this resource has been an example to other diamond producers everywhere.
“From the outset it adopted an orderly, predictable mining regime which, operating within a transparent legislative framework, has made it attractive to outside investors.”
Blackie Marole, Managing Director of Botswana’s Debswana, told attendees at the Antwerp Diamond Conference last year that diamonds had transformed his country and brought it benefits that otherwise it would not have enjoyed.
“Before diamonds, we were one of the poorest nations in the world and one of many economically hopeless and politically helpless African nations. Consumers need to be alerted about the benefits diamonds bring to producing countries, and how important they are to the people of Botswana.”
Or as De Beers puts it ‘Diamonds really are Africa's best friend’.