DATE=7/10/2000
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
TITLE=CONFLICT DIAMONDS
NUMBER=5-46637
BYLINE=LARRY FREUND
DATELINE=NEW YORK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The United Nations Security Council recently
(7/5) imposed an international ban on the purchase of
diamonds originating in Sierra Leone. Most of the
diamond mining areas of the country are controlled by
rebels who use the money from sales to buy weapons.
Correspondent Larry Freund reports from New York on
the growing concern in the world about the sale of so-
called "conflict diamonds," diamonds produced in areas
of rebellion and fighting.
TEXT: Diamonds, according to a recent report, are one
of the most concentrated forms of wealth known to man.
The United Nations ambassador from Sierra Leone - one
of the world's 26-diamond producing countries - looks
at the gems another way. The root of the conflict in
his country, he told the U-N Security Council, is and
remains diamonds, diamonds and diamonds.
According to the experts, diamonds are the major
source of financing for weapons used by Sierra Leone's
rebels. The expensive stones are also recognized as a
factor in the fighting in Angola and Congo. For that
reason, there has been growing pressure in the world
to stop the trade in illicit diamonds. And the United
Nations Security Council took the first step by
banning sales of diamonds from Sierra Leone until that
country can establish a system that certifies the
origin of the rough diamonds, as they are known.
/// GREENSTOCK ACTUALITY ///
This is the beginning, the beginning of a system
Internationally which (people involved in the)
diamond industry are now starting to discuss
amongst themselves and with governments.
/// END ACT ///
Britain's ambassador to the United Nations Jeremy
Greenstock sees the possibility of a broader,
international system guaranteeing the place of origin
of the stones.
/// SECOND GREENSTOCK ACT ///
. whereby in areas of conflict, only diamonds
that are certified as being authorized for sale
by the proper government will go into the
industry and will be cut and sold by the cutting
centers.
/// END ACT///
Diamond certification would essentially be a paper
trail, identifying the diamonds from the time they are
mined to the time they leave the jewelry store.
However, diplomats say the certification system would
be considerably stronger if experts could identify the
origin of an unpolished stone by simply examining it.
The origin of polished diamonds, experts agree, is now
impossible to determine.
The Diamond Information Center in New York -
representing South Africa's De Beers Company, the
world's largest diamond producer - says the company's
experts can be reasonably sure of the origin of
diamonds from a primary source if they look at a
parcel of diamonds. But the center adds it is
difficult in general to tell the origin of rough
diamonds when they are not all from the same mine. The
source of a single rough diamond, the company says,
cannot be identified with certainty. William Boyajian
(boy-ah'-zhin) president of the non-profit Gemological
Institute of America, agrees.
/// Boyajian actuality ///
We think it is much more practical - and
frankly, I am impressed with the U-N Security
Council's resolution here - to control diamonds
through customs, through the government, through
what I would call a more practical means of
insuring the identification of rough (diamonds).
Because I am just not convinced, at least at
this point, that it is going to be an easy
methodology developed to be able to identify
rough. ( opt ) There are ways. If you
are a diamond buyer and you are buying rough in
the jungle or whatever and you look at a parcel
of diamonds that came from the same source,
there are characteristics that you would notice
that might be indicative of a particular
locality or mine. But taken individually it
would be extraordinarily difficult. And
scientifically, there is just no way to prove it
today. (end opt)
/// END ACT ///
However, a London-based human rights group, Global
Witness, argues that gem experts are currently able to
identify diamonds with enough authority to be able to
point to stones that originate in conflict areas. Alex
Yearsley is the co-author of a recent report by the
group on conflict diamonds.
/// Yearsley actuality ///
We're not saying it is possible to do it in a
scientific manner. You can't put it in a machine at
the moment, you can't do a scientific test on it at
the moment and say, "yes, this rough diamond just came
from this mine in Sierra Leone." It's done on
expertise. That expertise is gained through 20 years
in the field of buying and selling diamonds and
evaluating diamonds. And there are people who can do
that. It doesn't have to stand up in a court of law. (
opt ) What we're saying is, when the diamond
inspection office in Antwerp or Tel Aviv comes across
a suspect parcel - suspect because they think, "hold
on, these diamonds don't actually come from that
country" - that's when they need to make the check on
the paperwork. If the paperwork is incorrect and they
have identified diamonds that come from a different
country, then you have got your diamond smugglers.
(end opt)
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Yearsley says Global Witness is not advocating the
use of technology to identify diamonds, although he
says work is now underway that may lead to the
scientific identification of diamonds in two or three
years. In the meantime, Mr. Yearsley sees the U-N
embargo on the sale of diamonds from Sierra Leone as a
very positive step in the right direction and
anticipates the early establishment of an
international certification system for all rough
diamond imports and exports. The issue is also
expected to be discussed when international diamond
dealers gather in Antwerp, Belgium, next week (7/16-
19) for the World Diamond Congress. (signed)
NEB/NY/LSF/AMAHL/PW
1
4
10-Jul-2000 13:27 PM EDT (10-Jul-2000 1727 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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