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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
Is
the Kimberley Process fit for purpose
Clifford Chitupa
Mashiri
July 05, 2011
Never has there
been so much pressure for the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme
to reform itself than now, since its formation. Launched in January
2003, to prevent the trade in diamonds that fund conflict, the KP
scheme has had its achievements and failures.
KP-s notable
achievements in the past ten years, include "pioneering a
tripartite approach to solving international problems, and helping
some of the countries that were worst-hit by diamond-fuelled wars
to increase their official diamond revenues," according to
Global Witness campaign group on its website.
On the other
hand, it is common knowledge that the KP has failed to effectively
deal with the problem of Zimbabwe-s "blood diamonds"
as the mines remain under military occupation and some people said
to be working like slaves for too little or nothing. To compound
the problem, the Treasury in Harare is not receiving proceeds from
the diamond sales to the extent that striking civil servants have
had to be content with $31 pay increase. Everyone is asking, so
where is the money from diamond sales going?
The KP is hopping
from one crisis to another, without a clear indication of when it
will get out of the woods. First, was the controversial certification
of Zimbabwe-s diamonds as "conflict free" by KP
monitor Abbey Chikane who even went on to endorse the military occupation
of Chiadzwa in spite of the alleged murder of 241 people in the
area by the army using helicopters. The army should be replaced
by a civilian police force.
Secondly, KP
Chairman Yamba-s decision to declare Zimbabwe controversial
diamonds as suitable for sale without a consensus almost ripped
the organisation apart. The final straw was the release of seized
Zimbabwean diamonds by the United Arab Emirates which has plunged
the watchdog body in the mother of all crises.
It looks like
the main cause of the KP-s "life threatening"
problems could be the overdue need to redefine "conflict "or
"blood diamonds" in the contemporary context. It-s
now clear that undemocratic regimes are capable of dealing in conflict
diamonds to wage wars whereas at its formation, the KP-s definition
of conflict diamonds was confined to rebels only.
Not long ago,
almost six thousand people signed an online petition calling for
a complete reform of the international diamond monitor, the Kimberley
Process over its decision to certify diamonds
mined at Chiadzwa as "conflict free" according to
the Swradiofrica on 24 September 2010. The KP-s decision caused
an outrage as Zimbabwe went on to hold two auctions of what critics
argued were 'blood diamonds- and allegedly mined by
entities led by people on the US and EU targeted sanctions list
for rights abuses.
As is well known
that the Mugabe regime regards human rights and the rule of law
as peripheral issues, it is justifiable to criticise the Kimberley
Process for copping out on a crucial issue of human rights. Therefore,
having failed to discharge its duty, the Kimberly Process is arguably
not fit for purpose.
Unless it reforms
urgently, the KP system risks a nasty and painful collapse leaving
behind a trail of human rights outstanding issues blighting the
commercial world of diamonds. The prognosis is not looking good
for the Kimberly Process, if it remains shy to change.
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