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This article participates on the following special index pages:
Marange, Chiadzwa and other diamond fields and the Kimberley Process - Index of articles
Trade
alert: Marange diamonds
Rapaport News
August 12, 2010
http://www.rapnet.com/News/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=32094
The Kimberley Process
(KP) has just certified approximately 900,000 carats of rough diamonds
from Marange, Zimbabwe. While the trading of Marange diamonds may
be legal in certain jurisdictions, companies owning or selling the
diamonds are sanctioned by the U.S., European Union (EU), and U.K.
governments and the trading being conducted by citizens of these
countries may be illegal.
Furthermore, the KP does
not have a mandate to deny its certification for diamonds involved
in human rights violations and there is no guarantee that diamonds
with KP certifications are free of associations with human rights
violations.
Rapaport strongly advises
all diamond buyers not to trade in KP-certified diamonds from Marange
and to request written assurance from their suppliers that their
diamonds have not been sourced from Marange.
RapNet, the Rapaport
Diamond Trading Network, will not allow the trading of any diamonds
sourced from Marange, Zimbabwe. Members found to have knowingly
offered Marange diamonds for sale on RapNet will be expelled and
their names will be publicly communicated.
For more information,
visit www.diamonds.net/zimbabwe
UPDATE
(August 15, 2010) - Martin Rapaport has also written the following
letter to RapNet members.
Dear RapNet
members,
On August 11th 2010,
the Kimberley Process certified approximately 900,000 carats of
rough diamonds from Marange, Zimbabwe. While the trading of these
diamonds may be legal in certain jurisdictions it is illegal for
U.S., E.U., or U.K. citizens or entities to knowingly trade these
diamonds due to the fact that the companies owning or selling the
diamonds are sanctioned by these governments.
Furthermore, it should
be clear that the Kimberley Process (KP) does not have a mandate
to deny its certification for diamonds involved in human rights
violations and therefore there is no assurance that diamonds with
KP certification are free of human rights violations.
Based on the above legal
and moral considerations RapNet will continue to forbid the trading
of any diamonds sourced from Marange, Zimbabwe on our network. RapNet
members that knowingly offer Marange diamonds for sale on RapNet
will be expelled from RapNet and their names will be publicly communicated.
We strongly urge members to contact their suppliers and obtain written
assurances that they are not being supplied Marange diamonds. U.S.,
U.K. and E.U. members may have a legal obligation to do so and should
consult their legal advisors.
RapNet members that wish
to cancel their subscription due to this trade restriction are invited
to do so within thirty days and will receive a refund for the unused
portion of their RapNet subscription.
RapNet and the
Rapaport Group are fully committed to maintaining honest ethical
standards and will not tolerate the use of our trading networks
for the distribution of diamonds involved in human rights violations.
If any member has information about such abuses they are encouraged
to contact RapNet's legal counsel via email: legal@diamonds.net
On behalf of RapNet and
all of us at the Rapaport Group I thank you for your membership
and continued support of our activities and ethical standards.
Yours truly,
Martin Rapaport
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