The new film has aroused another storm of controversy, not least because in February 2006, Kago G Moshashane, the deputy secretary of Botswana's Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, and Eli Izhakoff, chairman of the World Diamond Council, sent a joint letter to Zwick asking the filmmaker to show how mine owners have acted against Sierra Leone's
conflict diamond trade.
Though this private legal system operates successfully in downstream markets, such as New York's 47th Street, Richman asserts that it remains to be seen whether the Kimberly Process--another of the industry's instruments of self-governance--substantially can reduce the
conflict diamond trade.
Once there he is embroiled in the bitter
conflict diamond trade and the brutal ongoing war in Sierra Leone, whilst attempting to dodge questions from the British and American government agencies, he embarks on the largest and most risky money gathering exercise of his life.
In an interview on Monday after the WDC's annual general meeting in Dubai, Fischler praised Bin Sulayem's proposal to use expert diamond valuation methods to help curb the
conflict diamond trade.
Specifically, the loophole rests in the KPCS's definition of a
conflict diamond, since it does not account for human-rights abuses occurring in diamond mines controlled by Angola's legitimate government.
In July 2000, the World Diamond Congress meeting in Antwerp passed a resolution to strengthen the industry's ability to block the trade of
conflict diamond, The United Nations ultimately adopted the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme in 2002 to cut off the flow of
conflict diamonds, help stabilize "fragile countries" and support their development through other means.
conflict diamond problem, key industry players, and the civil society
International Trade: Critical issues remain in deterring
conflict diamond trade, GA0-02-678, Washington, June, page 21-22.
Washington -- Participants in an international group that certifies that rough diamonds are free from conflict are expected to update the definition of "
conflict diamond" during the group's four-day annual meeting in Washington this week.
Yet that very specific definition of
conflict diamond has caused a serious dilemma.
Above board: Buy from a trusted source and ensure you do not buy a
conflict diamond (aka blood diamond).