The Role of Diamonds in Fuelling Conflict: Breaking the Link Between the Illicit Transaction of Rough Diamonds and Armed Conflict as a Contribution to Prevention and Settlement of Conflicts

A/RES/68/128View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 32 The role of diamonds in fuelling conflict, published in 2014.

What other versions does this mandate have?

4 versions · 2001–2014

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2014	A/RES/68/128	The role of diamonds in fuelling conflict: breaking the link between the illicit transaction of rough diamonds and armed conflict as a contribution to prevention and settlement of conflicts	2,856	40%Compare
2007	A/RES/62/11	The role of diamonds in fuelling conflict breaking the link between the illicit transaction of rough diamonds and armed conflict as a contribution to prevention and settlement of conflicts :	2,365	27%Compare
2002	A/RES/56/263	The role of diamonds in fuelling conflict :#breaking the link between the illicit transaction of rough diamonds and armed conflict as a contribution to prevention and settlement of conflicts	1,098	22%Compare
2001	A/RES/55/56	The role of diamonds in fuelling conflict :#breaking the link between the illicit transaction of rough diamonds and armed conflict as a contribution to prevention and settlement of conflicts	761	–

What subjects does this mandate have?

5 subjects

Certificates of Origin Conflict Diamonds Illicit Traffic Sanctions Sanctions Compliance

What’s in this document?

33 operative paragraphs

Reaffirms its strong and continuing support for the Kimberley Process Certification SchemeError: Reference source not found and the Kimberley Process as a whole;

Recognizes that the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme can help to ensure the effective implementation of relevant resolutions of the Security Council containing sanctions on the trade in conflict diamonds and contributes to the prevention of future conflicts fuelled by diamonds, and calls for the full implementation of existing Council measures targeting the illicit trade in rough diamonds, particularly conflict diamonds which play a role in fuelling conflict;

Welcomes the admission in June 2013 of Mali as a full Participant in the Kimberley Process, as approved through written procedure;

Recognizes the important contributions that the international efforts to address the problem of conflict diamonds, including the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, have made to the settlement of conflicts and the consolidation of peace in Angola, Liberia and Sierra Leone;

Notes the efforts to further strengthen implementation of the Kimberley Process, including efforts to continue to examine the application of Kimberley Process Certification Scheme requirements in cross-border Internet sales;

Also notes the decision of the General Council of the World Trade Organization of 15 May 2003 granting a waiver with respect to the measures taken to implement the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, effective from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2006, the decision of the General Council of 17 November 2006 granting an extension of the waiver until 31 December 2012, and the decision of the General Council of 11 December 2012 granting an extension of the waiver until 31 December 2018;

Takes note of the report of the Chair of the Kimberley Process submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 67/135,³ and congratulates the participating Governments, the regional economic integration organization,⁴ the diamond industry and civil society organizations involved in the Process for contributing to the development, implementation and monitoring of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme;

³A/68/649, annex.

⁴European Union.

Acknowledges the progress made by Kimberley Process working groups, Participants and observers during 2013 in fulfilling the objectives set by the Chair to strengthen implementation of the peer review system, increase the transparency and accuracy of statistics, promote research into the traceability of diamonds, promote inclusiveness by broadening the level of involvement by Governments, industry and civil society in the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, foster a sense of ownership by Participants, improve information and communication flows and enhance the capacity of the Certification Scheme to respond to emerging challenges;

Notes that the annual reporting process on Kimberley Process Certification Scheme implementation is the main comprehensive and regular source of information on the implementation of the Process provided by Participants, and calls upon Participants to submit consistent and substantive annual reports in order to conform to this requirement;

Expresses appreciation to Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, the Russian Federation, Singapore, South Africa and Viet Nam for receiving review visits or missions in 2013, welcomes the commitment of those countries to continuously open their certification systems to reviews and improvements, and calls upon other Participants that have not already done so to make themselves available to receive review visits;

Acknowledges the efforts of the Kimberley Process to strengthen implementation and enforcement, and in particular to ensure coordination of Kimberley Process actions in relation to the occurrence of fraudulent certificates, to apply vigilance and ensure the detection and reporting of shipments of suspicious origin and to facilitate the exchange of information in cases of infringement, and acknowledges with appreciation the increased level of collaboration among Participants and with the World Customs Organization in this matter;

Stresses that the widest possible participation in the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme is essential, encourages Member States to contribute to the work of the Kimberley Process by seeking membership, participating actively in the Certification Scheme and complying with its undertakings, and acknowledges the importance of the increased involvement of civil society organizations in the Process;

Calls upon the Participants of the Kimberley Process to continue to articulate and improve rules and procedures to further enhance the effectiveness of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, and notes with satisfaction the systematization of the work of the Process with respect to developing transparent and uniform rules and procedures and improving the mechanism for consultations and coordination within the Process, including through the adoption of rules related to non-compliance and statistical anomalies;

Notes with appreciation the willingness of Kimberley Process Participants and observers to support and provide technical assistance to those Participants experiencing temporary difficulties in complying with the requirements of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme;

Recognizes the importance of the Kimberley Process in promoting economic development, particularly in the artisanal and small-scale diamond mining sector, and encourages an increased focus on issues related to development, including through the work of the Diamond Development Initiative;

Notes with appreciation the continued cooperation of the Kimberley Process with the United Nations on the issue of diamonds from Côte d’Ivoire, in accordance with the provisions of Security Council resolution 2101 (2013) of 25 April 2013 and in line with the administrative decision on sharing information with the United Nations;⁵

⁵See A/64/559, annex, attachment I.

Welcomes the conclusions and recommendations of the review mission to Côte d’Ivoire, which took place from 30 September to 4 October 2013, acknowledges the important steps taken by Côte d’Ivoire to ensure compliance with Kimberley Process Certification Scheme minimum requirements pursuant to Security Council resolution 2101 (2013), notes that, in its 2013 final communiqué, the Kimberley Process plenary meeting recognized that Côte d’Ivoire has fulfilled the minimum requirements as far as possibly could be achieved under the United Nations embargo, and recalls that the Council, pursuant to its resolution 2101 (2013), will review measures in the light of progress made towards Kimberley Process implementation;

Encourages the Friends of Côte d’Ivoire to continue to provide support to Côte d’Ivoire to prepare it for implementation of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme;

Encourages the Kimberley Process to continue to actively collaborate with the United Nations Group of Experts on Côte d’Ivoire, established pursuant to Security Council resolution 1584 (2005) of 1 February 2005, and, through liaison, with Côte d’Ivoire, with the ultimate objective of meeting the preconditions for the lifting of United Nations sanctions on the trade in rough diamonds from Côte d’Ivoire;

Acknowledges Liberia’s active involvement in the work carried out by the Kimberley Process regional team for cooperation in the Mano River region, encourages the Process, in collaboration with the Panel of Experts on Liberia, established pursuant to Security Council resolution 2025 (2011) of 14 December 2011, to support the efforts of Liberia to continue reinforcing its internal controls system and to continue to address the challenges to the implementation of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, and notes the review visit to Liberia from 18 to 27 March 2013;

Welcomes the initiative from Kimberley Process Participants in West Africa to enhance their cooperation on Kimberley Process implementation and policy harmonization efforts in the context of the regional approach for the Mano River region, and acknowledges the region’s plans for developing a regional strategy and road map as the outcome of a high-level workshop on regional cooperation in West Africa early in 2014;

Notes that the plenary meeting of the Kimberley Process restated the administrative decision on the temporary suspension of the Central African Republic, as approved through written procedure of 23 May 2013, and the reported willingness of the Central African Republic to address issues of non-compliance with Kimberley Process Certification Scheme minimum requirements and strengthen its internal control systems;

Recalls the decision of the plenary meeting regarding the continued participation of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the Kimberley Process, acknowledges the positive step represented by the submissions presented by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in response to the decision of the plenary meeting, and invites the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to continue its efforts to fully reintegrate into the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme through the steps outlined in the Kimberley Process communiqué of 30 November 2012;⁶

⁶A/67/640, annex, enclosure.

Notes with appreciation the role played by the Kimberley Process Administrative Support Mechanism, with the World Diamond Council acting as host for 2013;

Notes the discussions during 2013 on the subject of the Kimberley Process reforms and the proposed changes to the definition of “conflict diamonds”, among other proposals, also notes that consensus was not reached on whether or not to change the definition of “conflict diamonds”, and further notes that the Chair, Participants and observers were encouraged to continue dialogue on this issue;

Acknowledges that the plenary meeting of the Kimberley Process adopted a proposal for modifications to the Kimberley Process core document aimed at strengthening the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme within its current remit;

Acknowledges the adoption by the plenary meeting of the Kimberley Process of seven administrative decisions, on technical definitions; guidelines for the preparation, review and analysis of Kimberley Process statistical data; the chairmanship of Kimberley Process working bodies; Kimberley Process Participants’ applications for membership and participation in working bodies; protection guidelines for the use of the Kimberley Process logo; the dissolution of the Participation and Selection Committees and the formation of the Committee on Participation and Chairmanship; and technical certificates for scientific research;

Notes with appreciation the continued support of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre for the Kimberley Process website, which has been enhanced significantly to make it a more efficient and effective tool;

Reaffirms the importance of the tripartite nature of the Kimberley Process, and welcomes the commitment of the plenary meeting to continue its constructive engagement with civil society in recognition of the role that civil society plays in the Kimberley Process;

Encourages further improvement in enforcement of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, and notes the new efforts made to increase information-sharing and collaboration in enforcement;

Acknowledges with great appreciation the important contribution that South Africa, as Chair of the Kimberley Process in 2013, has made to curbing the trade in conflict diamonds, and welcomes the selection of China as the Chair and Angola as the Vice-Chair of the Process for 2014;

Requests the Chair of the Kimberley Process to submit to the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth session a report on the implementation of the Process;

Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its sixty-ninth session the item entitled “The role of diamonds in fuelling conflict”.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What other versions does this mandate have?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

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