After years of fighting for a broader definition of the term “conflict diamond,” the World Diamond Council (WDC) says it finally has new wording it believes will attract a consensus. The current definition refers only to diamonds used to fund rebel groups, which critics have argued doesn’t reflect the present situation.
Over the years, Kimberley Process (KP) member countries have suggested new descriptions that would also include references to “systemic and widespread violence,” “forced labor,” “child labor” and “human rights abuses.”
The biggest problem with changing the wording is the need for all member countries to agree, which hasn’t been the case in the past. However, at the most recent KP intersessional, which took place in Dubai from May 12 to 16, the African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA), which represents 15 member countries and five observers, offered new terminology.