Civil society statement following the 2025 KP Intersessional meeting in Dubai
The Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition (KP CSC) attended the Kimberley Process (KP) intersessional meeting in Dubai from 12–16 May. Statements made at the close of the meeting declared a breakthrough in the long-standing debate over revising the KP’s notoriously narrow definition of conflict diamonds. From the KP CSC’s perspective, it is unclear where such a breakthrough occurred—unless the mere fact that some participants are still trying to keep the conversation going, after two and a half years of difficult discussions and entrenched positions, is being considered a turning point. The African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA) made a commendable effort to keep the debate alive. Yet the divisions remain deep, and we are still far from reaching consensus on a meaningful update to the definition.
As long as the main perpetrators of ongoing violence and abuse in diamond-mining areas—government forces, private security companies, and mercenaries—cannot even be named or meaningfully discussed, any update to the definition will amount to little more than symbolism. Arguments that these issues fall outside the KP’s mandate, and should be referred to the UN Security Council, are unconvincing. The current reform cycle was created precisely so the KP could take responsibility for these challenges.
The so-called “Year of Best Practice”, as declared by the UAE KP Chair, risks becoming little more than a “Year of Self-Congratulations.” If best practice now means applauding oneself—as the Chair did—by claiming that diamonds are already held to the “highest levels of scrutiny” and are 99.8% conflict-free, then the KP is not raising the bar, but continuing its race to the bottom. If best practice means praising how advanced diamond traceability is, while simultaneously issuing KP mixed-origin certificates without restriction, then the credibility gap is only widening.
True best practice would mean transforming the KP from a tool that primarily protects governments into one that actively confronts violations of human, environmental, and socio-economic rights—regardless of who commits them.
The KP CSC boycotted the previous UAE KP Chairmanship in 2016 because we believed the UAE was not acting in good faith within the KP. This time, we made the decision to engage constructively. However, we are increasingly alarmed by recent developments.
In his closing remarks last week, the Chair emphasized the importance of due diligence—then used that very principle to accuse the CSC of failing to conduct proper checks, claiming without evidence or prior discussion that our documentary Diamonds – Beyond Shining Illusions featured a “known criminal” from Lesotho. But true due diligence also requires considering the consequences of one’s statements. These baseless, public accusations—apparently just intended to score political points and discredit legitimate civil society work—have placed one of our members at serious personal risk.
A KP Chair is expected to act as a neutral facilitator of dialogue. Instead, we are increasingly concerned that this chairmanship is being used to advance a particular agenda: to discredit civil society, to counter G7 efforts toward improved traceability, to promote lab-grown diamonds, to mislead the public about what the KP truly represents, to block transparency on KP proceedings, and to pursue business interests that prioritize profit over people—undermining the KP’s purpose and integrity.
We believe the defining value of a natural diamond should be its ability to support livelihoods and uphold dignity in the communities where it is mined. When a diamond truly contributes to local well-being—when its revenues help governments build inclusive prosperity—it becomes more than a luxury item: it becomes a meaningful gift, one that consumers can feel proud to invest in. This, in our view, is the natural diamond industry’s only credible path to sustaining consumer confidence.
Read the closing remarks delivered by the KP Civil Society Coalition on May 16 in Dubai
For more information: info@kpcivilsociety.org
