WDC Raises Ethical Sourcing with US State Dept.

RAPAPORT... The World Diamond Council (WDC) addressed the US StateDepartment last week for the first time regarding responsible diamond sourcing and theKimberley Process (KP).In her presentation, WDC executive director Marie-Chantal Kaninda pointed to the work the WDC and KP had already done to counteract the actions of groups that trade in conflict diamonds to finance illegal activities against legitimate governments. She also discussed areas needing improvement, including the scope of conflict diamonds, minimum standards for the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), and long-term implementation of KPCS directives via a permanent secretariat.The speech was part of a series hosted by the State Department's Office of Threat Finance Countermeasures, with the goal of minimizing funding to groups involved in the conflict-diamond trade.Kaninda urged State Department officials to use their voting rights as KP members to help effect change, and called on diamond consumers to continue demanding ethical sourcing."[This] presentation is an important opportunity for us tocontinue to spread the diamond-industry message of accountability, action andmeaningful outcomes," said Stephane Fischler (pictured), acting president of the WDC. "Wemust all come together with one common purpose and fulfill the duty of careowed to diamond-producing communities to protect their right to a secure,healthy and prosperous livelihood." The more people speak about responsible sourcing,the greater the effort to combat it, Fischler declared."By encouraging others to join our cause, we can ensure thatthe chain of trust remains unbroken," he added.