Closing remarks of the Civil Society Coalition at the Kimberley Process Plenary in Dubai
At the start of this Kimberley Process (KP) plenary, we expressed our concerns regarding the embargo that has been imposed on the Central African Republic for over a decade.
Need of a new approach for CAR
The Civil Society Coalition (CSC) believes that lifting this 11-year-long embargo is the right decision. This conflict diamond embargo ultimately did more to support smugglers than to protect the diamond mining communities it was meant to help. However, we must be clear: this decision cannot mark the end of responsibility for the Kimberley Process, the CAR government, or the international diamond community to engage with problems of poverty, conflict, and fraud linked to CAR’s diamonds. Rather, it should mark the beginning of a more active and committed approach—one that fosters growth in diamond mining areas, supports artisanal and small-scale mining, combats smuggling, and seeks justice for human rights abuses.
Regrettably, over the past few days, there has been minimal discussion on effectively addressing these complex challenges. It has been disheartening to see so much energy spent defending positions and so little directed toward finding solutions. These dynamics have oversimplified a deeply complex situation, reducing it to a binary debate on lifting the embargo when, in fact, we needed a thoughtful assessment of where the KP has fallen short and how we can better support CAR’s diamond mining communities.
A wake up-call for the Kimberley Process
This decision to lift the embargo should also prompt a vital moment of reflection. We all seem to agree that this embargo was doing more harm than good. If the KP’s only tool in the one country that falls under its extremely narrow mandate has proven ineffective, then this should, hopefully and finally, convince everyone here that the KP has existential challenges. Let this be a clear and urgent signal that meaningful reform is not just needed but long overdue.
However, the once again stalled discussions on the definition of conflict diamonds, do not make us particularly hopeful. The strong resistance to any form of government accountability for violence and abuses confirms that some participants are in this primarily to protect their own interests, regardless of the human impact. This reluctance underscores a troubling reality: the very atrocities committed by rebel groups, which led to the KP’s creation in 2003, are now mirrored by certain governments and their security forces.
Rigourous due diligence to bridge KP loopholes
Given the perpetual lack of progress, the diamond sector should be doing more to brace itself. As the saying goes, “Hope lights the way, but wisdom packs a parachute.” We encourage you all to ensure your parachutes are ready. The KP does not—and likely will not soon—prevent diamonds from being associated with issues outside the narrow conflict diamond definition, including human rights abuses, violence by public and private security forces, forced labour, and environmental degradation. Rigorous due diligence is essential, yet it remains insufficiently addressed.
The sole existence of the certification scheme does not make diamond governance exemplary. Though diamonds share similar governance challenges with other minerals, the Kimberley Process has largely remained isolated from broader dialogues on mineral-related due diligence. To advance this conversation and promote mutual learning, the Civil Society Coalition and De Beers co-hosted a roundtable at this year’s OECD forum on responsible mineral supply chains in Paris. This event, which saw high levels of participation, underscored the importance of looking beyond the KP to advance responsible diamond governance. We look forward to continuing this work and invite all Participants and Observers to join us in exploring ways to improve the industry’s track record on identifying, preventing, mitigating and remediating risks and harms throughout the diamond supply chain.
Breaking KP’s isolation to foster collaboration
The KP’s isolation from wider mineral governance frameworks was starkly underscored by the discomfort some Participants expressed at mentions of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative or EITI. One Participant remarked that they were “extremely nervous that this organisation that we don’t know and that does not form part of the KP is being mentioned.” Another asserted that KP rules prevent engagement with the EITI, and thus “whatever this body is doing is entirely irrelevant to the KP’s work”. We urge all Participants to broaden their perspectives and consider collaborative opportunities. EITI is a respected initiative aimed at promoting transparency in the extractive sector, including the diamond trade. We call on all of you to embrace rather than discard engagement with other relevant initiatives, learn from their insights, and advance together. Without transparency, the KP will never effectively achieve its mandate of conflict prevention.
KP should embrace, not block, engagement with diamond-affected communities
It is also disheartening to see some Participants continue to resist acknowledging and welcoming diamond-affected communities as key stakeholders of this process. This has become yet another area where the consensus model is misused to block crucial progress, and we refuse to let this pass silently. Following the positive example set at this year’s Intersessional, we strongly encourage the UAE and future KP Chairs to sustain the vital practice of directly engaging with diamond-affected communities during KP meetings.
The Civil Society Coalition has to keep emphasizing its unique and indispensable role as the third pillar within the KP framework. We are pleased to inform the Plenary of mutual efforts this week to resolve the previously strained relationship between Sierra Leone and the CSC, hopefully paving the way for a smoother, more productive partnership. May this progress inspire other participants to strengthen collaboration and uphold the true spirit of the KP tripartite system.
Jaff Bamenjo
KP CSC Coordinator
