KP Getting its Ducks In A Row for November Meeting

KP Chair Milovanovic wants to change KP's definition of conflict diamonds

(IDEX Online News) – The Kimberley Process annual Intersessional meeting opened in Washington, DC Monday, and the agenda seems to focus mainly on starting to build consensus on the issues that will be voted on at the Plenary meeting in November.

One of the key issues on the table is discussions to change the definition of conflict diamonds, or "updating" it, in the words of KP Chair, Ambassador Gillian Milovanovic.

Milovanovic addressed the World Diamond Council's annual meeting two weeks ago in Vicenza, Italy, telling WDC board members violence (as could be defined by KP) does not have to equal overthrowing a government.

"The system must evolve to include rough used to finance armed conflict," she added.

WDC voted that day to support discussions on widening the conflict diamonds definition to diamond related violence in rough diamond producing and trading areas. It is a suggestion to start a conversation to amending the definition of conflict diamonds in KP's Core Document.

The goal of the discussions is to build a consensus. This consensus is elusive. India, China, Russia, Angola and a few other African countries oppose the change.

According to a U.S. official, the goal is to have good discussions on key issues and a mandate for how to proceed to the Plenary in November.

In his opening speech Monday, WDC President Eli Izhakoff said that while it should not shy away from the issue of human rights, the diamond industry stipulates, "that, as Ambassador Milovanovic herself said, the KP focuses on issues that concern the diamond business. We are sympathetic to all instances of suffering, but we can only act in areas in which we have control."

He added that Civil Society Coalition and the WDC agree, "[T]he administration of security measures and the implementation of KPCS internal controls within the diamond industry, applicable to participants, should be consistent with international human rights law."

Another issue on the table is the long-standing request to form a secretariat.