The Kimberley Process
How Effective is Kimberley Today?
What Worked and What Did Not?
Marissa Boyajian and Whitney Donaldson
The Kimberley Process has brought together states,
multinational corporations, and NGOs to help
regulate the trade in conflict diamonds; however,
serious problems still remain and can be confronted
by stricter enforcement of internal controls, industry
regulation, and cross-border smuggling.
The Three Players in the Kimberley Process
•Participants- state governments
•Observers- multinational corporations
•Overseers- NGOs
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mOIUn0We12A&feature=related
Ways In Which Kimberley is Working
Democratic Republic of the Congo
•2004-Kicked out of Kimberley after it was found that it had
smuggled conflict diamonds
•Statistics compiled by the Kimberley Process were crucial in
this discovery
•2007-Controls on the diamond trade in the country
improved and they were let back in
Ways In Which Kimberley is Working
The First Time…
•Serious Controls have been
introduced to track and regulate
the diamond industry
•A legitimate attempt has been
made by the international
community to address the
problem of the illegal
exploitation of natural resources
•An international agreement has
been negotiated between
governments, industry, and civil
society acting as equal partners
Ways In Which Kimberley is Working
Before: 4% of the worlds trade of rough
stones were attributed to conflict diamonds
Today: That number has fallen to less
than
1%
However, Kimberley is not solely to blame for the decrease
Ways in Which Kimberley is Not Working
•United Nations Statistic- $10.2 million worth of
diamonds are unaccounted for between some
participating and non-participating states
•Kimberley Process data only shows trade between
Kimberley Process countries
Ways in Which Kimberley is Not Working
Suspicious Trading in Polished Diamonds
•Kimberly Process only covers trade in rough diamonds, which are
diamonds before they are cut or polished
•Illicit and conflict diamonds can enter the Kimberley Process system by
being smuggled
•Uganda, Congo, and Zambia example
•Trading and manufacturing centers are the connection between mines
and consumers
•Kimberley DOES suggest ways to control this process but has FAILED
to implement ways to enforce measures
Ways in Which Kimberley is Not Working
Lacks Legitimate Internal Government Controls
•Cote d’Ivoire
•Entering diamond trade through Ghana and Mali
•Sierra Leone
•15-20% of the diamond trade out of the country is said to
be illicit
•Many secretive operations within the country
Ways in Which Kimberley is Not Working
Publicity of the Diamond Industry and Its Cover Up
•De Beers
www.debeers.com
•Wal-Mart
www.walmart.com
•Saks Fifth Avenue
www.saks.com
•Tiffany and Co.
www.tiffany.com
How to Make Kimberley More Effective
•Increase government oversight over the
diamond industry
•Strengthen internal governmental controls
• Publish Statistics
•Finance the Scheme
• Act promptly in response to problem nations
• Combat cross-border smuggling
How to Make Kimberley More Effective
Increase Government Oversight of the Diamond Industry
1. require diamond companies to keep records of trades and stocks
2. have records independently audited
3. carry out physical inspections of diamond imports &
exports to make sure they are compliant with Kimberley
standards
- tamper resistant containers
- certify country of origin
4. require polishing factories to keep records of rough diamonds
that have been processed to polished stones
5. hold companies accountable for noncompliance
How to Make Kimberley More Effective
• Strengthen Internal
Governmental Controls
– “Chains of Warranty”
• guarantee the origin of
rough diamonds as they
move from one dealer to
another.
– Require licensing
– Higher evaluation and
verification standards
– Prevent diamonds from
entering and leaving country
illegally
– Safety controls for miners
– Strengthen the training and
funding of government
monitoring bodies.
• Publish Statistics
– Data detects irregularities
in diamond trade would 
able to pinpoint when
blood diamonds enter
market
– Leads to transparency &
accountability
How to Make Kimberley More Effective
• Combat Cross-Border
Smuggling
– All players must work
together to prevent illicit
diamonds from entering
the trade
– Agree on a standard
export tax on rough and
polished diamonds
– Strong controls when
diamonds transit through
customs-free zones.
• Act Promptly in
response to problem
nations
– Deterrence for future
illegal trading
• Finance Kimberley
– Have governments
provide funding and
professional support for
the coordination and
implementation of the
KPCS.
Should the Kimberley Process do more?