QUESTION+OF+The+role+of+diamonds+in+fuelling+conflict+breaking+the+link+between+the+illicit+transaction+of+rough+diamonds+and+armed+conflict+as+a+contribution+to+preven-+tion+and+settlement+of+conflicts

QUESTION OF: The role of diamonds in fuelling conflict: breaking the link between the illicit transaction of rough diamonds and armed conflict as a contribution to preven- tion and settlement of conflicts THE DISARMAMENT COMMISSION, Noting that the smuggling of illicit rough diamonds accounts for over 50 percent of the diamond trade and it is estimated by the Sierra Leone Government Gold and Diamond Office that the total production of rough illicit diamonds amounts to 100 million USD per year, Defining “rough” diamonds as diamonds that are uncut and un- polished but are used as “blood diamonds” to finance conflicts to overthrow governments, Further defining “blood” and “conflict” diamonds as diamonds which are found in regions that are not under the control of the democratically elected ruler or government, or diamonds used by business or non-state forces to fund movements of human rights abuses against civilians, Aware that 4% of diamonds produced are classified as “conflict” or “blood” diamonds, which is enough to purchase weapons for the whole destabilization of Africa, Recognizing the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) as an internationally recognized certification system for rough diamonds to establish national import and export standards, Further recognizing, that the KPCS is lacking a sufficient system for monitoring where diamonds are mined, how they are mined, what the proceeds are going to and how diamonds are domestically transported, which influences the government’s control over conflicts and can possibly be a promotion of illicit diamond trading, 1. Calls for all relevant Member States to sign and ratify the KPCS as created in 2003 by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly which will help to promote cooperation against and awareness of the illicit diamond trade; 2. Further calls for all relevant nations which are currently withholding signature and ratification of the KPCS due to financial reasons, to request from intergovernmental orga- nizations (IGO) such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, funds or low interest loans, while recognizing the ability of these IGO’s to reject ap- plicants so that creditable Member States may be provided with necessary finances to comply with this resolution; 3. Asks for the creation of the Coalition for Stopping Con- flict Diamonds (CSCD), a United Nations Organization (UNO),which would work with the relevant Member States, as well as the United Nations Verification and Inspec- tion Committee (UNMOVIC), the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), African Union (AU), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and World Diamond Council (WDC), enabling the monitoring of the implementation of the KPCS in countries that have already ratified it, so as to verify that it is fully respected, in order to catch illicit diamond trading within their Member States as well as working with other Member States to stop illicit diamond transportation on an international level by: a) monitoring in their respective countries who is buying and selling the diamonds, b) ensuring the methods the diamonds are bought and mined are legal according to the KPCS’s definition of “clean” diamonds as well as ensuring that the Geneva Convention is being implemented, c) sending a submitted proof of each country’s and min- ing companies’ diamond proceeds to ensure that they are not funding armed conflicts, d) sending a member of the CSCD and of the UNMOVIC to nations having ratified the KPCS, so as to observe the changes made within a year’s time, thus insuring transparency; 4. Urges that the monitoring system of CSCD and Member States that have