UNITED NATIONS (AP) 鈥 The United States and its Western allies are feuding with Russia over its diamond production, but they joined forces Wednesday to keep supporting the Kimberley Process, which aims to eliminate the trade in 鈥渂lood diamonds鈥 that helped fuel devastating conflicts in Africa.
At a U.N. General Assembly meeting, its 193 member nations adopted a resolution by consensus recognizing that the Kimberley Process, which certifies , 鈥渃ontributes to the prevention of conflicts fueled by diamonds鈥 and helps the Security Council implement sanctions on the trade in conflict diamonds.
The Kimberley Process went into effect in 2003 in the aftermath of bloody civil wars in Angola, Sierra Leone and Liberia where diamonds were used by armed groups to fund the conflicts.
Zimbabwe鈥檚 U.N. Ambassador Albert Chimbindi, whose country chaired the Kimberley Process in 2023, said in introducing the resolution that it would renew the General Assembly鈥檚 鈥渃ommitment to ensuring that diamonds remain a force for inclusive sustainable development instead of a driver of armed conflict.鈥
It was true in 2003 and 鈥渞emains true now,鈥 he said, that profits from the diamond trade can fuel conflicts, finance rebel movements aimed at undermining or overthrowing governments, and lead to the proliferation of illegal weapons.
The European Union鈥檚 Clayton Curran told the assembly after the vote that the Kimberley Process 鈥渋s facing unprecedented challenges鈥 and condemned 鈥渢he aggression of one Kimberley Process participant against another鈥 鈥 in February 2022.
For the first time in its history, last November鈥檚 plenary meeting of Kimberley Process participants failed to produce a consensus communique because of serious differences between Russia and the West.
The key reason was a Ukrainian request, supported by the United States, Britain and others, to examine whether Russia鈥檚 diamond production is funding its war against Kyiv and the implications for the Kimberley Process which Russia and several allies strongly opposed.
Russia refused to support a communique that acknowledged Ukraine鈥檚 request. And before Wednesday鈥檚 vote, the deputy director of the Russian Foreign Ministry鈥檚 economic department, Alexander Repkin, accused Western countries of sabotaging international cooperation on diamonds for 鈥渢heir own geopolitical interests.鈥
Alluding to by the European Union, Repkin accused the West and its companies of trying to gain a hold over the global production and processing of diamonds.
He said 鈥渢he further functioning of the Kimberley Process is at stake,鈥 but Russia will do everything it can to support its work.
He noted that the plenary communique has served as the foundation for the General Assembly resolution on the role of conflict diamonds in fueling conflict but without one the resolution approved Wednesday 鈥渋s largely technical in nature.鈥
The EU's Curran urged reform of the process 鈥渢o broaden the definition of `conflict diamonds鈥 to capture the evolving nature of conflicts and the realities on the ground.鈥 He said the EU will also try again this year to discuss the issue of the negative impact of the illegal trade in diamonds on the environment.
Britain expressed regret at the failure to discuss the link between Russia鈥檚 rough diamond revenue and their invasion of Ukraine, and reiterated the need for a discussion to ensure that the Kimberley Process deals with issues related to delinking diamonds from conflict.
United Arab Emirates deputy ambassador Mohamed Abushahab said it鈥檚 more important than ever to strengthen the Kimberley Process, which his country is chairing this year.
The UAE has identified three ways: to establish a permanent secretariat which was approved at the end of March in Botswana鈥檚 capital Gabarone, to complete a review and reform of the process by the end of the year, and to identify digital technologies that can strengthen the Kimberley Process, he said.
