Business & Human Rights : World Diamond Council

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World Diamond Council website: www.worlddiamondcouncil.com

The World Diamond Council was created by the World Federation of Diamond Bourses and the International Diamond Manufacturers Association. Its "ultimate mandate...is the development, implementation and oversight of a tracking system for the export and import of rough diamonds to prevent the exploitation of diamonds for illicit purposes such as war and inhumane acts."

Its members include representatives of national and international gem and jewellery industry associations and the following companies (as of November 2004):

ABN Amro, Antwerpse Diamantbank, Ascorp (Angola), Bank Leumi, BHP Diamonds & Industrial Metals (part of BHP Billiton), Cartier, De Beers, Debswana (joint venture De Beers, govt. of Botswana), Diamond Trading Co. (DTC) (part of De Beers), Eurostar Diamonds, Harry Winston, Leviev Group, Namdeb Diamond (part of De Beers), Rapaport Corp., Rio Tinto, Rosy Blue, Sterling Jewelers, Tacy Diamond Consultants, Tiffany, Union Bank of Israel, Zale

World Diamond Council's current full list of members.

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Title: Diamonds from Cote d'Ivoire Need Cleaning

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Author: David Cronin, IPS News (Inter Press Service)
Dated: 08 Nov 2007

Since 2005 export of rough diamonds from Cote d'Ivoire has been banned by the United Nations due to [conflict in Cote d'Ivoire]... The embargo does not appear to have prevented Ivorian diamonds from entering Europe... [Participants in] the annual conference of the Kimberley Process...in Brussels Nov. 5-8...agreed that there should be a new effort to improve controls on rough diamonds from Cote d'Ivoire, with particular attention paid to its neighbouring countries... Eli Izhakoff, chief executive with the World Diamond Council in New York, said it is "unprecedented" for an industry to seek the kind of controls that he favours over gemstone trading centres.

Title: Suspected 'blood diamonds' seized in Alaska [USA]

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Author: Lelie Anne Jones, Anchorage Daily News [USA]
Dated: 20 Jul 2007

U.S. customs officials have seized more than $400,000 of smuggled diamonds in Anchorage over the last two months, and say they may be so-called "blood" or "conflict" diamonds -- stones mined in war zones and sold to finance insurgents and armed conflict in Africa... Federal law sets standards for transporting rough diamonds in tamper-resistant containers and requires certificates of origin that the stones are from areas free of conflict.

Title: full report: "Conflict diamonds: UK jewellery retailers still not doing enough"

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Author: Global Witness & Amnesty International
Dated: 29 May 2007

[links to full survey and summary] This survey conducted by Global Witness and Amnesty International UK between December 2006 and February 2007, shows that most top-selling UK jewellers still lack adequate policies to effectively combat the trade in conflict diamonds, also known as blood diamonds. The survey queried 42 of the most prominent diamond retailers in the UK. [refers to ASDA (part of Wal-Mart), Asprey London, Beaverbrooks the Jewellers, Berens & Co, Boodle & Dunthorne, Bulgari UK, Cartier (part of Richemont), Catherine Jones, Chatila, Chisholm Hunter, Clive Ranger, Clogau Gold of Wales, County House Retail, Debenhams, DeJoria, Dianoor Jewels, Dinny Hall, E.P. Mallory & Son, EMDICO, F. Hinds, Finnies the Jewellers, Folli Follie, Fraser Hart, Garrard, Goldsmiths Plc, Graff Diamonds, Hamilton & Inches, Hancocks & Co Jewellers, Harriet Kelsall, Herbert Brown & Son Ltd, House of Fraser, HPJ Jewellers, J.J. Rudell & Co, John Lewis, Laing the Jeweller, Links of London, Moussaieff Jewellers, Ortak Jewellery, Signet, Ernest Jones (part of Signet), H Samuel (part of Signet), Leslie Davis (part of Signet), Theo Fennell, Tiffany, Warren James (Jewellers) Ltd]

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Visit: UK retailers fail to curb conflict gems

Author: Nicol Degli Innocenti, Financial Times
Dated: 29 May 2007

Title: $13B diamond industry still having human cost in Africa

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Author: Aron Heller, Associated Press
Dated: 11 May 2007

The diamond industry must do more to safeguard human rights in Africa, keep the gems out of the hands of criminals and terrorists and address pressing issues of child labor and substandard work conditions and wages, leading industry officials said Thursday. At the same time, speakers at the annual World Diamond Council conference claimed great progress the industry has made in curbing the use of diamonds to fund wars in Africa... "The days when people didn't know or didn't care are over," said Gareth Penny, the managing director of De Beers... Alex Yearsley, an activist from...Global Witness,...said human rights violations still occurred in diamond-harvesting Africa nations run by corrupt governments. [also refers to Alrosa]

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Visit: Caution: Trouble Ahead Warns Global Witness

Author: Danielle Max, IDEX Online (Intl. Diamond Exchange)
Dated: 10 May 2007

Title: Caution: Trouble Ahead Warns Global Witness

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Author: Danielle Max, IDEX Online (Intl. Diamond Exchange)
Dated: 10 May 2007

...[At] the World Diamond Council’s fifth annual meeting...Alex Yearsley, head of special projects at Global Witness,...warned of trouble [for the Kimberley Process] from...the Central African Republic...the ["volatile"] situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo...[and] human rights abuses in Angola...

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Author: Aron Heller, Associated Press
Dated: 11 May 2007

Title: Survey Shows That U.S. Jewelers Reassuring Consumers About Conflict Diamonds

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Author: World Diamond Council
Dated: 05 Feb 2007

[R]esults of a national survey released…by the [World Diamond Council] reports that 88% of the jewelers had asked for or received guarantees from their suppliers that all their diamonds are conflict-free…89% said they had trained their staff to handle customer questions…while four out of five said they felt confident of their ability to explain the…Kimberley Process... The legitimate diamond trade is…essential to the prosperity of countries like Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Tanzania.

Title: Blood diamonds stain India's glittering trade - Black market in smuggled gems continues to fund Africa's deadly conflicts

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Author: Dan McDougall, Observer [UK]
Dated: 21 Jan 2007

As the centre of the diamond polishing trade, [Surat, India] processes 92 per cent of the world's stones in foul sweatshops and state-of-the-art factories... [An] investigation by The Observer has uncovered a damning consequence [of India's diamond trade] - evidence of the sale of blood diamonds on the black market from the Ivory Coast and Liberia, both banned from trading by the UN... Campaigners say [India] continues to ignore Dickensian working conditions and the use of child labour [among diamond polishers].

Title: EU acts on diamonds [Zimbabwe]

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Author: Njabulo Ncube & Clemence Manyukwe, Financial Gazette [Zimbabwe]
Dated: 11 Jan 2007

The European Union (EU), which chairs the Kimberley Process of certifying legitimate diamonds, has summoned executives from River Ranch Limited to a meeting in Harare today to respond to allegations of diamond smuggling... River Ranch Limited has denied claims made by WDC [World Diamond Council] chairman, Eli Izhakoff, that diamonds from River Ranch [joint venture Kupukile Resources & Rani International (part of Aujan Group)] and from the Marange area of Manicaland were being smuggled into South Africa, where they were possibly being combined with blood diamonds from the DRC for export as legitimate stones.

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Visit: Zimbabwe faces diamond export blacklist

Author: Rodrick Mukumbira, Mineweb [So. Africa]
Dated: 08 Jan 2007

Title: JA speaks out on responsible mining [USA]

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Author: National Jeweler
Dated: 10 Jan 2007

In response to the recent public controversy concerning the proposed Pebble Mine project in Alaska's Bristol Bay Watershed, Jewelers of America (JA) announced on Jan. 5 that it is working, along with jewelry retailers, mining companies and non-governmental organizations, on standards for the responsible sourcing of minerals. JA is creating such standards through the "Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA)", a multi-sector effort launched in June 2006 to establish a system to independently verify compliance with environmental, human rights and social standards for mining operations.

Title: Zimbabwe faces diamond export blacklist

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Author: Rodrick Mukumbira, Mineweb [So. Africa]
Dated: 08 Jan 2007

Washington-based World Diamond Council (WDC) has expressed concern at reports that rough diamonds from Zimbabwe are being smuggled into neighbouring South Africa and blended with "blood diamonds" from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for onward sale into the world market under fraudulent certification of origin, a council statement said... [Zimbabwe's] River Ranch Mine [joint venture Kupukile Resources & Rani International (part of Aujan Group)] ...is accused of exporting the gems in violation of court orders and without proper certification.

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Visit: Zimbabwe: Mine Refutes Diamond Smuggling Accusations

Author: Herald [Zimbabwe]
Dated: 21 Dec 2006

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Visit: EU acts on diamonds [Zimbabwe]

Author: Njabulo Ncube & Clemence Manyukwe, Financial Gazette [Zimbabwe]
Dated: 11 Jan 2007

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre: World Diamond Council

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Title: Diamonds from Cote d'Ivoire Need Cleaning

Title: Suspected 'blood diamonds' seized in Alaska [USA]

Title: full report: "Conflict diamonds: UK jewellery retailers still not doing enough"

List item: 1

Title: $13B diamond industry still having human cost in Africa

List item: 1

Title: Caution: Trouble Ahead Warns Global Witness

List item: 1

Title: Survey Shows That U.S. Jewelers Reassuring Consumers About Conflict Diamonds

Title: Blood diamonds stain India's glittering trade - Black market in smuggled gems continues to fund Africa's deadly conflicts

Title: EU acts on diamonds [Zimbabwe]

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Title: JA speaks out on responsible mining [USA]

Title: Zimbabwe faces diamond export blacklist

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Business & Human Rights Resource Centre: World Diamond Council

Page Content Navigation

Page Banner

Primary navigation

Alternative Site Languages

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Main Content: World Diamond Council

Search Summary

Link Explanation

Link Results

Title: Diamonds from Cote d'Ivoire Need Cleaning

Title: Suspected 'blood diamonds' seized in Alaska [USA]

Title: full report: "Conflict diamonds: UK jewellery retailers still not doing enough"

List item: 1

Title: $13B diamond industry still having human cost in Africa

List item: 1

Title: Caution: Trouble Ahead Warns Global Witness

List item: 1

Title: Survey Shows That U.S. Jewelers Reassuring Consumers About Conflict Diamonds

Title: Blood diamonds stain India's glittering trade - Black market in smuggled gems continues to fund Africa's deadly conflicts

Title: EU acts on diamonds [Zimbabwe]

List item: 1

Title: JA speaks out on responsible mining [USA]

Title: Zimbabwe faces diamond export blacklist

List item: 1

List item: 2

See also: Categories

Individual companies

Send us comments & suggested additions

Search Area

Library Navigation

Weekly Updates (Free)

Page Extras and footer content

Footnote

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Copyright and Production Information