MEPs adopted a motion for a resolution on the Kimberley Process for the certification of diamonds with 668 votes in favour, 3 against and 14 abstentions. This international negotiating forum of governments, the diamond industry and civil society created an international diamond certification scheme (KPCS) in 2003. The aim is to prevent conflict diamonds from entering the international market.
In their resolution, MEPs call for the definition of conflict diamonds to be revised “as a matter of urgency” to include “the human rights, and the social and environmental conflict-related dimensions of diamond production”.
They also believe that the KPCS certification scheme should apply not only to rough diamonds, but also to cut and polished stones.
On 14 December, the EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, informed MEPs that at the Kimberley Process plenary session in November no consensus had been reached on a new definition of conflict diamonds. She assured them that the EU had “led efforts to broaden the definition and ensure a process that remains relevant”.
She added that the Commission would explore other avenues to ensure responsible diamond mining. She mentioned in particular the forthcoming publication of the proposal on sustainable corporate governance.
See the resolution: https://bit.ly/3dVwmZ1 (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)