Learn About the Kimberley Process (KP) - Sell Diamonds and More

A collaboration between many governments, as well as industry and society, the Kimberley Process (KP) seeks to stop conflict or blood diamonds from entering the marketplace. Conflict diamonds are rough (unpolished) diamonds whose sale is used to fund rebel movements against legitimate governments.

Years of conflict in countries across Africa, including Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone have been funded by the sale of these illegal gemstones.

The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to support an international certification process for rough diamonds in December 2000. Two years later, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) was created. The KPCS offers standards to monitor the production and trade of rough diamonds. Currently there are 48 members of the KP that represent 74 countries. The agreement is open to any country willing and able to enforce the rules of the process.

Participating countries on a rotating basis chair the process. Past chairs have included Botswana, Canada, the European Community, Russia and South Africa.

Members of the KP must certify that shipments of rough diamonds are conflict free. They must commit to only trading with other KP participants. Transparency in data is required of all KP members, as well as legislation and controls over how rough diamonds are exported and imported. Finally, a KP certificate guaranteeing that rough diamonds are conflict free must accompany all shipments.

Not only has the introduction of the Kimberley Process eliminated the flow of conflict diamonds in the world, it has helped to stabilize many governments and increase their revenues. Today, Sierra Leone legally exports about $125 million in diamonds. Twenty years ago that figure was zero.

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