If you want to know what are blood diamonds please the article. The term “blood diamond” is a term used to refer to the illicit trade of diamonds, especially those from Africa. Throughout history, these stones have been used to finance wars, smuggle drugs, and trade with rebel militias. This has lead to debates over the legality and ethics of diamond mining.
Conflict diamonds
The problem of Conflict Diamonds has been an unresolved issue for policy makers for almost a decade. The UN Security Council, several aid groups, and other human rights organizations have been working to stop the trade of conflict diamonds.
The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) was developed to address the issue. It is an international system designed to ensure that diamonds are exported from countries that produce them legally and that they do not contribute to conflicts.
Although the KPCS has proven to be moderately effective in some areas, it has not completely halted the diamond trade. It has been estimated that at least one percent of the rough diamonds traded today may be illicit.
The problem of Conflict Diamonds is a complex one for policy makers. While the industry has acknowledged the importance of the KPCS and has put in place a variety of measures, many advocacy groups are concerned that the current regulations are not enough.
Legality of ethically mined diamonds
The diamond industry has been plagued by unethical business practices for decades. But a growing group of campaigners is pushing for a more ethical way of doing business.
Ethical lab grown diamonds are mined in accordance with environmental, labour and social standards. Diamonds sourced from ethical mines can be traced back to the country of origin, ensuring the harmony between the environment and local communities.
Buying diamonds from a reliable source is the best way to ensure they are ethical. A good source should be able to offer you a wide variety of ethically mined diamonds and a written ethical sourcing policy.
Many diamond retailers are now opting to sell diamonds that are free of human rights and environmental violations. One of the safest countries for conflict free diamonds is Botswana.
Kimberley Process certification scheme
The Kimberley Process certification scheme is a global initiative that aims to stop the flow of so-called blood diamonds into international markets. Its purpose is to ensure that diamonds purchased from legitimate sources do not finance wars or other human rights violations.
The Kimberley Process was developed by a diverse group of actors. These include the diamond industry, civil society groups, governments, international organizations and nongovernmental organizations. They all contributed to the development of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.
In November 2002, 37 countries from around the world participated in a meeting to adopt the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. This meeting was held in Interlaken, Switzerland.
In 2003, the United Arab Emirates became the first Arab country to implement the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. Since then, several other major rough diamond exporting and importing countries have joined.
Rebel militias smuggled and traded them
Blood diamonds were traditionally mined and sold to fund war-stricken areas in Africa. However, this practice is now inciting wars in diamond-rich territories, according to a panel of experts.
The United Nations defines blood diamonds as gems mined by a rebel group and sold in an effort to fund its rebellion against a legitimate government. They are then smuggled into the international diamond trade. This can fuel a civil war in an African nation.
There are several examples of blood diamonds causing wars. In Angola, a rebel militia called UNITA was the largest producer of diamonds in the country. It also traded and smuggled rough diamonds into neighboring countries.
A 2009 Tamil movie “Ayan” shows an insurgent group selling blood diamonds. While the fictional movie is a work of fiction, it does highlight the potential of the diamond industry to create wealth and power in a country.
Botswana’s shunning of blood diamonds
In the past two years, the government of Botswana has been grappling with a few issues. The first is the issue of the blood diamond. This issue has been pushed by several non-governmental organizations, which have been working to eliminate the trade in blood diamonds.
Blood diamonds, also known as conflict diamonds, are illegally mined diamonds that are used to fund guerilla wars in Third World countries. These wars have led to the deaths of millions of people.
Conclusion
Several African countries have been devastated by civil wars during the 1990s. Diamonds were one of the major factors in these conflicts. While diamonds helped to maintain repressive regimes, the violence caused hundreds of thousands of innocent people to die.
Botswana’s diamond industry is expected to decline in the next few years. It has been forced to convince diamond buyers that its diamonds are legitimate.
