Combating Conflict Diamonds: A Call to Action for Consumers and Industry, Summaries of History

Download Combating Conflict Diamonds: A Call to Action for Consumers and Industry and more Summaries History in PDF only on Docsity! CONFLICT DIAMONDS – 4 IDEAS FOR ACTION FROM THE CORPORATE ACTION NETWORK (CAN) AND THE DRC COUNTRY ACTION PROGRAM (DRC CAP) The movie “Blood Diamond” depicts a period in Sierra Leone’s recent history when the use of child soldiers was endemic. While the conflict has ended in Sierra Leone, neighboring Côte d’Ivoire is still plagued by armed conflict where children from Liberia as well as Côte d’Ivoire have been recruited by government armed forces and rebel armed groups. And in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Diamonds and other minerals are still actively mined by rebel groups to buy arms. Several governments with records of recruiting child soldiers have initiated or participated in Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) programs for children, but many of these programs have encountered significant challenges, including funding and management problems. For example, despite a DDR program in DRC designed to assist 30,000 child soldiers, only 19,000 children were believed to have been disarmed by June 2006. In fact, a majority of the 11,000 children that didn’t benefit from the program are girl soldiers, who are often misidentified as "dependents" of adult fighters. Meanwhile child soldiers are still being recruited – and re-recruited - including some who were only recently demobilized and reunited with their families in the DRC. Level 1 - Write letters to Condoleezza Rice and Henry Paulson to strengthen enforcement of the Clean Diamonds Trade Act Gather signatures on the attached sample letter and send it to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and copy Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson to demand better enforcement of the Clean Diamond Trade Act. You can also encourage jewelers in your area to sign the letter as well – they have a vested interest in making sure diamond laws work! Level 2 - Survey Jewelers in your Area Send a message to the jewelers in your area that you want them to take conflict diamonds seriously. You can use the four questions on the fact sheet to undertake your own investigation about what jewelers are doing about this problem, or use our handy survey form attached below. Take notes about the response you receive, and if you don’t get satisfactory answers, contact your local media and let them know. Send only one activist per retailer. Find online survey forms and report your findings at: www.amnestyusa.org/countries/drc Level 3 - Educate & Inspire – See the film while it’s still playing in your area In December, the new action film, Blood Diamond was released, and Amnesty International is promoting the film to raise awareness about conflict diamonds and the Kimberley Process. Visit www.blooddiamondaction.org to learn more. You can get involved by organizing groups to attend the film, then meet up afterward to discuss the issue and take action. Use the comprehensive curriculum and discussion guide available at http://s3.amazonaws.com/3b59dcdf1c4552f8d85a16a4808a3b38- default/BloodDiamondCurriculumGuideFinal.pdf Level 4 - Educate Consumers In the days leading up to Valentine’s Day, many people will be out shopping for a gift that demonstrates their love and devotion – often that gift is a diamond. You can help arm shoppers with the right questions to ask to ensure their purchases are conflict-free. Print off copies of the attached fact sheet, which includes 4 questions consumers should ask before purchasing a diamond, and download our buyers guide at http://www.amnestyusa.org/diamonds/BuyersGuide.pdf. Consider setting t up a table or leafleting near a local shopping area too. Conflict Diamonds: What’s Happening Now • Diamond-fuelled wars have killed over 4 million people, destroyed countries, and displaced millions more. • Blood diamonds are not just a problem of the past. Blood diamonds from West Africa are currently reaching international markets. The UN recently reported $23 million in blood diamonds from the Ivory Coast are being smuggled into international diamond markets. Diamonds have fuelled the conflict in the Congo (DRC), the bloodiest war since WWII; armed violence and human rights abuses continue over control of diamonds mines in eastern Congo. As the brutal conflict in Sierra Leone shows, even a small amount of conflict diamonds can wreak enormous havoc in a country. • The government-run Kimberley Process, set up to stop the trade in conflict diamonds, has serious weaknesses that must be addressed to make this system effective. Government controls are not strong enough or enforced effectively enough to make sure that diamonds mined by rebel groups don’t get sold to fuel conflict. • The diamond industry, worth $60 billion in 2005, has failed to match its rhetoric with action. It agreed to police itself in support of the Kimberley Process, but it has not made a wholesale change in the way it operates to make sure that diamonds never again fuel conflicts. Some members of the industry continue to operate with impunity - breaking the law and trading in blood diamonds - while the rest of the industry turns a blind eye. • The industry’s voluntary system of warranties is more of a PR exercise than a credible system. It is not a robust or credible system that will combat conflict diamonds. There is no third party verification or monitoring to make sure that companies are adhering to the system and responsibly sourcing diamonds. The warranties system is not backed up with concrete policy measures. • Consumers can play an important role in combating conflict diamonds. When in a diamond store, consumers should ask for a guarantee that the diamond they are buying is conflict- free. • Global Witness and Amnesty International are supporting the film, Blood Diamond, as an important way to raise awareness about how diamonds can fuel conflict. We hope that as a result of the movie, people will ask more questions before buying a diamond, and that the industry will take action to make sure companies can provide consumers with adequate assurances that the diamonds they sell are conflict-free. 4 simple questions to ask your diamond retailers: 1. How can I be sure that none of your jewelry contains conflict diamonds? 2. What is your primary source for diamond jewelry? 3. Can I see a copy of your company's policy on conflict diamonds and/or a written guarantee from your suppliers that your diamonds are conflict-free? 4. How often do consumers ask you about conflict diamonds? Amnesty International USA ~ Diamond Retailer Survey Date: ____________________________ Activist/Consumer: __________________________________________ Phone: _________________ Address: ____________________________________________________________________________ City: _______________________________________ State: ______ Zip: ______________________ Email: ______________________________________________________________________________ Member of National Chain  Regional Chain  Single Proprietor  Retailer: _________________________________________________ Phone: ____________________ Representative: _______________________________________________________________________ Address: ____________________________________________________________________________ City: _______________________________________ State: ______ Zip: _____________________ Email: ______________________________________________________________________________ 1. How can I be sure that none of your jewelry contains conflict diamonds? 2. What is your primary source for diamond jewelry? 3. Can I see a copy of your company's policy on conflict diamonds and/or a written guarantee from your suppliers that your diamonds are conflict-free? 4. How often do consumers ask you about conflict diamonds? The Honorable Condoleezza Rice Secretary of State U.S. Department of State 2201 C Street NW Washington, DC 20520 Dear Secretary Rice: I am writing to urge the Administration to strengthen enforcement of the Clean Diamond Trade Act (CDTA) to help stop the trade in conflict diamonds and to support the Kimberley Process. Blood diamonds are still a serious problem today. The United Nations recently reported that $23 million in blood diamonds from the Ivory Coast are being smuggled over the border into Ghana and Mali, making their way into international diamond markets. Diamonds have also fueled conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where violence and human rights abuses continue over control of diamond mines. As the brutal conflict in Sierra Leone shows, even a relatively small number of conflict diamonds can wreak enormous havoc. The Kimberley Process was set up to stop the trade in conflict diamonds but has serious loopholes that must be addressed to make this system effective. Government controls are neither strong enough nor enforced effectively enough to ensure that rebel groups, terrorists, and other criminal networks do not use diamonds to finance conflict. Notably, a September 2006 report by the Government Accountability Office found serious weaknesses in the U.S. controls system due to poor enforcement of the CDTA. The report specifically addressed the need for improvements in monitoring the diamond industry's compliance with this law and in compiling accurate statistics on U.S. trade in rough diamonds. As the world's largest consumer of diamonds, the U.S. should take a greater leadership role on the issue of conflict diamonds. I urge you as Secretary of State to take the following steps along with Secretary of Treasury Paulson to strengthen the CDTA and the Kimberley Process: 1. Work with other key governments to strengthen the Kimberley Process and crack down on blood diamonds smuggled out of the Ivory Coast. In particular, ensure that the KP adopts measures to: improve the accuracy and analysis of statistics, require verification of industry compliance, and provide adequate financing to promote effective implementation of the scheme. 2. Work to ensure that all GAO recommendations are swiftly implemented, including the carrying out of periodic spot checks of diamond companies and rough diamond exports/imports, and the publication of a time-bound action plan for implementing all recommendations. 3. Take immediate measures to improve the accuracy of U.S. rough diamond trade statistics. 4. Require diamond companies to have their Kimberley Process compliance verified by an independent auditor. 5. Provide more robust support, including technical and financial assistance, to help countries improve their implementation of the Kimberley Process. I look forward to your timely response and to learning more about your plans to strengthen U.S. efforts to combat conflict diamonds. Sincerely, The Honorable Hentry Paulson Secretary of The Treasury Department of the Treasury 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, D.C. 20220 The Honorable Condoleezza Rice Secretary of State U.S. State Department 2201 C Street NW Washington, DC 20520 We are writing to urge the Administration to strengthen enforcement of the Clean Diamond Trade Act (CDTA) to help stop the trade in conflict diamonds and to support the Kimberley Process. As the world's largest consumer of diamonds, the U.S. should take a greater leadership role on the issue of conflict diamonds. We urge you as Secretary of State to take the following steps to strengthen the CDTA and the Kimberley Process: 1. Work with other key governments to strengthen the Kimberley Process and crack down on blood diamonds smuggled out of the Ivory Coast. In particular, ensure that the KP adopts measures to: improve the accuracy and analysis of statistics, require verification of industry compliance, and provide adequate financing to promote effective implementation of the scheme. 2. Work to ensure that all GAO recommendations are swiftly implemented, including the carrying out of periodic spot checks of diamond companies and rough diamond exports/imports, and the publication of a time-bound action plan for implementing all recommendations. 3. Take immediate measures to improve the accuracy of U.S. rough diamond trade statistics. 4. Require diamond companies to have their Kimberley Process compliance verified by an independent auditor. 5. Provide more robust support, including technical and financial assistance, to help countries improve their implementation of the Kimberley Process. Signature Print Name City, State