Explainer - Conflict diamonds and Kimberley Process

• India will chair the Kimberley Process for the third time from January 1, 2026.

• India took over as vice chair from December 25 before assuming the chairmanship in the new year.  

What are conflict diamonds?

• Conflict diamonds are defined in United Nations Security Council resolutions as rough diamonds sold by rebel groups or their allies to finance armed conflicts aimed at undermining legitimate governments.

• Nowadays, conflict diamonds account for less than 0.1 per cent of the world’s diamond production, according to estimates from the Kimberley Process and the United Nations. 

• The Kimberley Process works in partnership with the UN to prevent these diamonds from entering the legal market.

• Significant progress has been made in countries that previously experienced conflicts partially funded by diamonds, such as Sierra Leone, Angola, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Ivory Coast. 

• While much greater stability has been achieved, fragile situations persist, such as in the Central African Republic. 

What is the Kimberley Process?

• The Kimberley Process is an international, multi-stakeholder trade regime created in 2003 to increase transparency and oversight in the diamond supply chain in order to eliminate trade in conflict diamonds

• It facilitates legitimate trade in rough diamonds among participating countries by mandating domestic implementation of a certification scheme that makes the trade more transparent and secure, and prohibits trade with non-participants. 

• The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) outlines the rules that govern the trade in rough diamonds. 

Participants in the scheme are required to:

i) Satisfy ‘minimum requirements’ and establish national legislation, institutions and import/export controls.

ii) Commit to transparent practices and to the exchange of critical statistical data.

iii) Trade only with other participants in the scheme.

iv) Certify shipments as conflict-free.

• Today, the Kimberley Process (KP) has 60 participants, representing 86 countries (with the EU as a single participant) which account for more than 99 per cent of the global rough diamond production and trade. 

A consensus-based body

• The Kimberley Process is not, strictly speaking, an international organisation. 

• It has no permanent offices or permanent staff. It relies on the contributions – under the principle of ‘burden-sharing' – of participants, supported by industry and civil society observers. 

• The Kimberley Process meets twice a year at the Intersessional and Plenary meetings. 

• It is chaired by a participating country on an annual, rotating basis. 

• As a consensus-based body, the Kimberley Process relies on the constructive engagement from all participants of the tripartite structure.

India will focus on strengthening governance

• India is a global player in diamond cutting and polishing.

• During its tenure, India will focus on strengthening governance and compliance, advancing digital certification and traceability, enhancing transparency through data-driven monitoring, and building consumer trust in conflict-free diamonds.

• As a leading global hub for diamond manufacturing and trade, India’s leadership comes at a time of shifting geopolitics and growing emphasis on sustainable and responsible sourcing.

• India will work closely with all participants and observers to reinforce confidence in the Kimberley Process, ensure rule-based compliance, and enhance its credibility, in line with its core objectives and evolving global expectations, while working towards making the Kimberley Process a more inclusive and effective multilateral framework.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)