Diamonds & Valentine's Day

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WEEKLY NEWS SPECIAL ISSUE of: 13-02-2001 - Diamonds

A Press Release from "GLOBAL WITNESS"
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GLOBAL WITNESS

PRESS RELEASE

Immediate release:	13 February 2001


Has the diamond industry forgotten its vows?
Why has the diamond industry gone quiet
on self-regulation of conflict diamonds?


Global Witness is calling on the diamond industry to make a Valentine's Day 
pledge to put in place a system of self-regulation across the industry that 
can be independently monitored and checked, to prevent the trade in 
conflict diamonds.

"We are looking for a comprehensive and verifiable system of 
self-regulation and not for statements of concern and piecemeal action by 
different diamond bourses and industry bodies," said Alex Yearsley, 
Campaigner, "this is vital if consumers are to have confidence that 
diamonds can be conflict free."

The diamond industry has taken the positive step of setting up the World 
Diamond Council  and it is working with governments as part of the 
inter-governmental Kimberley process which is designing a series of 
official regulatory measures to control the export and import of diamonds. 
But people should be clear this is a government led process and that the 
trade has so far failed to come up with a self-regulatory system that would 
work in tandem with these official regulations.

As the recent reports of the UN panels on Sierra Leone and Angola have 
shown, conflict diamonds remain an urgent problem, are still being sold and 
are still funding  wars ravaging west and central Africa. The diamond trade 
has to take responsibility upon itself to put its own house in order.

"We are calling for an Industry Three Step Programme: to develop a 
meaningful system of self-regulation; to continue to work with governments 
on the Kimberly process and to continue to work on US legislation." Said 
Alex Yearsley.

Further information:	Alex Yearsley Tel +44 (0)7968 799815
Website www.globalwitness.org

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Global Witness, PO Box 6042, London N19 5WP
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7272 6731 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7272 9425
Email: mail@globalwitness.org
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