Synthetic diamonds and the Kimberly Process � fighting the last war
Friday, June 06, 2014
For a decade now the world has been engaged in what has been seen as a battle against blood diamonds i.e. diamonds that have been used to fund wars in countries like Sierra Leone, DRC and Angola. The Kimberly process, has been a unique but flawed example of an attempt at global co-operation by producers and consumers to stamp out blood diamonds. That the Kimberly process even succeeded in being established is because it was in just about everyone’s interest for it to do so. No-one in the diamond business needed these stones which are sold as symbols of love being associated with war and bloodshed. Moreover, the blessing of the World Trade Organisation and the UN to restrict the trade of blood diamond did much to help do what the De Beers cartel could no longer do in the 1990’s. Unfortunately not all went to plan as the Kimberly process did not come with a system of traceability.
These legal professionals, who are entrusted with upholding the rule of law, face numerous challenges that compromise their ability to effectively carry out their duties.Elsewhere in this edition, we carry a story on the lamentations of the officers of court.The prosecutors have raised a number of concerns, calling for urgent attention from all relevant stakeholders, including the President, Minister of Justice and the Attorney General. Their...