AR-GW-PR-BloodDiamonds-120506

Press Releases

Human Right Organizations: Blood Diamonds Still a Problem 05/12/2006

Contact at 202/721-5670 or Amnesty International USA at 212/633-4247

New undercover footage shows New York diamond dealers eager to buy smuggled diamonds, contradicting diamond industry claims

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(New York, NY) – On the eve of the premier of the movie , leading international rights organizations Global Witness and Amnesty International, along with other experts, warned that blood diamonds are still a problem. The organizations called on the public to question the origins of the diamonds they purchase and urged the US government to strengthen and enforce the Clean Diamond Trade Act.

Dramatic undercover footage released by the UK company Blood on the Stone Ltd, in association with Insight News TV, showed New York diamond dealers eager and willing to buy diamonds with no accompanying paperwork to confirm that they are not blood diamonds.

“The diamond industry is spending millions on a publicity campaign to complicate the issues,” said Charmian Gooch, Executive Director of Global Witness. “But the story is clear-- blood diamonds are still being sold, and consumers cannot completely trust that these blood-soaked gems are being kept out of stores. Instead of spending millions on publicity, why doesn’t the diamond industry put that money and effort into solving the problems? And why aren’t governments checking up on the diamond industry’s promises to police itself?”

Blood diamonds are gems that have been used to fund rebel groups in wars in Africa, leading to more than 4 million deaths and millions more people displaced from their homes. Diamonds have also been used by terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda to finance their activities and for money-laundering purposes.

The diamond industry is spending a reported $15 million on a coordinated PR campaign around the release of the film. That campaign has included the creation of a new website, increased advertising, and even a “fact-finding” tour in Botswana and South Africa by Russell Simmons.

“Film can be an incredibly powerful means of inspiring people to take action,” said Amy O’Meara of Amnesty International USA’s Business and Human Rights Program. “What Blood Diamond illustrates is that even a small percentage of conflict stones can have tragic consequences. Rather than falling for the diamond industry’s PR machine, the public should urge the U.S. government and the industry to strengthen all diamond- monitoring systems, so we can see the day when not a single diamond is associated with a brutal war.”

The experts urged the public to take action this holiday season to help prevent blood diamonds from entering the legal diamond trade. Global Witness and Amnesty International, with the support of the director and cast members of the movie Blood Diamond, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly and Djimon Hounsou, have launched www.blooddiamondaction.org, a website to educate consumers about the role of diamonds in funding conflicts that have a devastating impact on civilians.

Consumers should ask retailers the following four questions when purchasing diamonds:

• Do you know where your diamonds come from? • Can I see a copy of your company’s policy on conflict diamonds? • Can you show me a written guarantee from your diamond suppliers stating that your diamonds are conflict free? • How can I be sure that none of your jewelry contains conflict diamonds?

To ensure that the diamond industry is living up to the necessary standards, Global Witness and Amnesty International are updating their 2004 survey of the top diamond retailers in the U.S. and the U.K., which pointed to the industry’s failure to adequately implement a system of self regulation. The new survey will include the top 75 diamond retailers and suppliers in the U.S. to ensure that the industry has addressed the gaps uncovered in their 2004 survey. Global Witness and Amnesty International are calling on the industry to establish vigorous codes of conduct and put in place an independent verification system, both with actionable timetables. The results of the survey will be posted on www.blooddiamondaction.org next February.

“Right now there is really no way of ensuring 100 percent that the diamond in your engagement ring is conflict free,” said Gooch of Global Witness. “But consumers can change that, by taking a stand this holiday season.”

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Global Witness campaigns to achieve real change by highlighting the links between the exploitation of natural resources, conflict and corruption. Through a combination of covert investigations and targeted advocacy, Global Witness has changed the way the world thinks about the extraction and trading of natural resources, and the devastating impact their unsustainable exploitation can have upon development, human rights and stability. Global Witness was co-nominated for the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for its leading work on ‘conflict diamonds’ and awarded the Gleitsman Foundation prize for international activism in May 2005.

Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with over 1.8 million members worldwide. Amnesty International undertakes research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination, within the context of its work to promote all human rights.

Notes to editors:

• For more information about the footage, please contact Insight News TV in London on +44 20 7738 8344

• The Kimberley Process is a government to government import-export scheme, set up in 2003, that provides certificates for diamond shipments. Separately, the diamond industry claims to run a self-policing system of warranties, certifying that diamonds are conflict free. There is no independent oversight of these warranties, and the US government’s own watchdog, the GAO, has recently expressed concern at the lack of policing of the system.

• At www.blooddiamondaction.org, consumers can view the movie trailer and PSAs, and download letters that they can send to the U.S. government and the World Diamond Council. To further educate and engage young people about blood diamonds -- as well as child soldiers, another main theme in the movie -- AIUSA’s Human Rights Education program has developed a curriculum guide to be used in conjunction with the public service announcements in high schools and universities across the country.

Press Releases

CONSUMERS SHOULD DEMAND CONFLICT-FREE DIAMONDS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, SAY GLOBAL WITNESS, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL 29/11/2006

Contact Global Witness Alex Yearsley: 323 820-7348 Charmian Gooch: 202 340-1574 Corinna Gilfillan: 202 721-5670 or

Contact Amnesty International: 212 633-4247

Director Ed Zwick, Actress Jennifer Connelly Raise Awareness With Public Service Announcements Filmed in Conjunction With ‘Blood Diamond’ Movie Release

(Washington, D.C.) – Two international rights organizations are urging consumers to take action this holiday season to help prevent “blood diamonds” from entering the legal diamond trade. Amnesty International and Global Witness, with the support of the director and cast members of the movie “Blood Diamond,” have launched blooddiamondaction.org, a website to educate consumers about the role of diamonds in funding conflicts that have a devastating impact on civilians.

Blood diamonds are gems that have been used by rebel groups to fund wars across Africa, leading to more than four million deaths and millions more people displaced from their homes. “Despite the tragedies that blood diamonds have caused, neither governments nor the diamond industry is doing enough to stop them,” said Global Witness Director Charmian Gooch. “Consumers have the power to effect industry-wide changes simply by demanding that their diamonds are clean.”

Consumers should ask retailers the following four questions when purchasing diamonds:

• Do you know where your diamonds come from? • Can I see a copy of your company’s policy on conflict diamonds? • Can you show me a written guarantee from your diamond suppliers stating that your diamonds are conflict free? • How can I be sure that none of your jewelry contains conflict diamonds?

In conjunction with the release of “Blood Diamond,” Director Ed Zwick and Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Connelly – who is Amnesty International USA’s (AIUSA’s) Ambassador for Human Rights Education – recently shot Public Service Announcements for the organizations to help further awareness.

“Blood diamonds are not just a problem of the past”, said Bonnie Abaunza, Director of Amnesty International USA’s Artists for Amnesty program. “More than $23 million in blood diamonds are currently being smuggled into U.S. and international markets from West Africa. Entertainment and industry leaders have important roles to play as advocates who can influence the U.S. to demand better checks on the diamond industry.”

To ensure that diamond industry is living up to the necessary standards, Amnesty International and Global Witness are updating their 2004 survey of the top diamonds retailers in the U.S. and the U.K., which pointed to the industry’s failure to adequately implement a system of self regulation. The new survey will include the top 75 diamond retailers and suppliers in the U.S. to ensure that the industry has addressed the gaps uncovered in their 2004 survey. Global Witness and Amnesty International are calling on the industry to establish vigorous codes of conduct and put in place an independent verification system, both with actionable timetables.

The results of the survey will be posted on www.blooddiamondaction.org next February. Until then, consumers can view the movie trailer and PSAs on the site, and download letters that they can send to the U.S. government and the World Diamond Council. To further educate and engage young people about blood diamonds -- as well as child soldiers, another main theme in the movie -- AIUSA’s Human Rights Education program has developed a curriculum guide to be used in conjunction with the public service announcements in high schools and universities across the country. # # #

Global Witness investigates the links between the exploitation of natural resources and the funding of conflict and corruption. It is non-partisan in all its countries of operation. Global Witness was co-nominated for the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for its leading work on ‘conflict diamonds’ and awarded the Gleitsman Foundation prize for international activism in May 2005.

Amnesty International is a Nobel Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with over 1.8 million members worldwide. Amnesty International undertakes research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination, within the context of its work to promote all human rights.

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AR-GW-IndustryFailure-120906

The diamond industry’s failure to deliver on combating blood diamonds

Conflict diamonds, also known as blood diamonds, have contributed to wars in Africa that have killed millions of people, destroying lives and wrecking countries. Since 2000, the diamond industry has not done enough to fulfil the pledges it has made to eradicate blood diamonds from international trade. In response to pressure from Global Witness, Partnership Africa Canada, and other civil society groups, the key trade bodies representing the global diamond industry agreed to a voluntary system of self-regulation aimed at helping to prevent the trade in blood diamonds and in supporting the government-run Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (Kimberley Process).

The polished and retail sectors of the diamond industry opposed stringent government regulation when the Kimberley Process was being negotiated, and the industry was left to police itself.

Six years after the blood diamond issue came to international attention, the industry has failed to change its practices. International diamond trade bodies have issued countless press releases and statements claiming that the problem has been solved, but have provided little information on what they have actually done to fix it and fulfil their promises. Despite vast profits made by many in the diamond industry—in 2005 diamond jewellery sales were over US$60 billion—little has been invested to ensure that blood diamonds will not be able to enter the legitimate trade. How the diamond industry has fallen short

 The diamond industry has failed to create an auditable tracking system to ensure that diamonds are conflict free. As a key part of the self-regulation, the diamond industry agreed to track diamonds from where they are mined to where they are sold through buying diamonds only from suppliers that provide a written guarantee on invoices that diamonds are conflict-free. The industry also committed to keep records of these invoices and have them audited every year. But the industry did not clarify how this tracking system would work or how it would be audited. A written guarantee simply stating that diamonds are not from conflict sources is meaningless unless it is backed up by actions and policies to monitor that the statement is true. However, there are no clear standards detailing how records are to be kept and other elements that should be examined. It is clearly not an auditable chain of warranties as there is very little for auditors to verify. A Global Witness investigation and a joint survey with Amnesty International showed that many in the industry do not meet even the basic measures of the self-regulation and that there is confusion throughout the industry about what the measures actually mean in practice. Research carried out by the Diamond Trading Company demonstrated that these findings are very largely correct. The World Diamond Council’s misleading public relations campaign is not matched with meaningful action. A new website provides education packs for consumers and retailers, but provides no information about how adoption of the self-regulation will be monitored and reviewed. This system of warranties is unable to prevent blood diamonds from entering the legitimate trade and to give consumers adequate assurances that diamonds are conflict-free. In response to pressure from Global Witness and other NGOs, major diamond mining companies and jewellery retailers have created the Council for Responsible Jewellery Practices (CRJP) to develop a chain of custody backed by independent, third-party auditing measures. While participants include a cross section from the diamond and jewellery supply chain, many in the diamond industry have not yet signed up, especially small and medium sized companies, and implementation will not begin until 2008.We welcome the initiative of the CRJP, but it is too early to say how effective it will be and what impact it will have in improving practices within all sectors of the diamond trade.  The diamond industry has failed to implement a code of conduct adequately to stop the trade in blood diamonds. Although there are fewer blood diamonds now than there were during the 1990s, this is largely due to the fact that wars in and have ended. However, diamonds are playing a role in the conflict in the Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The illicit trade in smuggled diamonds is also flourishing which shows where there are weaknesses in control systems that can be used by those trading in blood diamonds. Global Witness’ field investigations in November 2005 found that diamonds mined in West Africa are regularly smuggled and given Kimberley Process certificates by countries other than their country of origin. Some of these are blood diamonds, and they are being certified as conflict-free. Given this current situation and the destructive role diamonds have played in the past, diamond companies should be making every effort to carry out due diligence when selecting suppliers to make sure that the diamonds they purchase only come from legitimate sources. The Kimberley Process scheme and industry compliance with this must be robust so that consumers can buy diamonds originating in any country, confident that they are conflict-free. However, members of the industry continue to trade in conflict and illicit diamonds and diamonds are still being used by organised crime, for money laundering and for other illicit purposes. In , an ongoing investigation into illicit trading may involve up to half of the diamond trade there and millions of dollars in fraudulent activity.  The diamond industry has failed to clean up its membership and to operate in a more transparent manner. Major international trade bodies such as the International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA) and the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) agreed to expel members that do not meet the selfregulation requirements or comply with the Kimberley Process. They agreed to publicise names of the expelled members. However, these trade bodies have not provided any information to the public or to civil society about any members who have been expelled. Nor have they shown what measures are being taken to ensure that the selfregulation is being adhered to. There has not been adequate monitoring to assess whether members are meeting these commitments. While many in the legitimate industry know who is trading in blood diamonds and using diamonds to fund criminal and other illegal activities, the trade is still secretive and unwilling to tackle this problem head on.

Matching rhetoric with action Millions of lives have been lost in diamond-funded wars, but the industry has yet to fully deliver on

its stated commitments. This undermines efforts to prevent conflict and protect the legitimate

trade in African diamonds. Lack of strong action on the part of governments and industry has

allowed diamonds to be used to fund terrorism and conflict, to launder dirty money, and to fuel

corruption in some of the world’s poorest countries.

Governments have let the diamond industry off the hook. Given the industry’s failure to change,

governments must step in and make sure that the diamond industry as a whole fundamentally

changes the way it operates to ensure that diamonds can never again fuel conflict. Governments must require that the diamond industry put meaningful systems in place:  Diamond trade bodies must develop a comprehensive, auditable system to track diamonds from mine to point of sale, based on clear standards (including standards on how records are to be kept, technical details on stocks, counts of Kimberley Process certificates, cross- checks of records of diamonds bought with diamonds sold, carry-overs of stock from previous years, and accounting periods), that has to be implemented by every company or individual trading in diamonds. This system must prevent blood diamonds from entering the legitimate trade by requiring diamond companies to demonstrate that the diamonds they are buying and selling have been imported with a Kimberley Process certificate. Governments must require proof of audit, and should undertake spot checks to ensure compliance with the Kimberley Process and the self-regulation. The systems that each company, including those dealing in polished diamonds, sets up must be independently audited on an annual basis.  When buying diamonds, companies must exercise due diligence in choosing their suppliers. They must ask for proof that their suppliers are only buying and selling diamonds that are conflict free and have auditing measures in place. A chain of custody must be solid and must have systems in place that inspire confidence that all diamonds sold were imported with a Kimberley Process certificate.  Diamond companies must publish their policy to combat blood diamonds.  The diamond industry needs to actively support the strengthening of the Kimberley Process. They should support stronger government controls and oversight of the industry, support transparency, in particular the publication of statistical data, and should help provide financial support to the Kimberley Process (for more information please see fact sheet on Kimberley Process).  The diamond industry as a whole must clean up its act by working more proactively with law enforcement agencies to expose those individuals and companies that are breaking the law.

The World Diamond Council website

UN Resolutions

UN Security Council Resolution 1643 that imposes an embargo on diamonds from Cote d'Ivoire - 15 December 2005-12-16

UN Security Council Resolutions - 2001

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs The role of diamonds in fueling conflict, penalties for sanctions violators, and a possible permanent monitoring mechanism for UN sanctions ...

Angola Security Council resolution 1374 (2001) on the situation in Angola

Security Council resolution 1348 (2001) on the situation in Angola

Security Council resolution 1336 (2001) on the situation in Angola

Supplementary report of the Monitoring Mechanism on Sanctions against UNITA (S/2001/966) ...The Monitoring Mechanism has been charged with the responsibility of collecting information and investigating leads relating to violations of pertinent sanctions resolutions "with a view to improving the implementation of the measures imposed against UNITA". (15 October 2001)

Final Report of the Monitoring Mechanism on Angola Sanctions

An extremely detailed UN report on the violation of sanctions against UNITA. S/2000/125 (21 December 2000)

Fowler Report Letter dated 4 June 1999 from the chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to Resolution 864 (1993) concerning the situation in Angola addressed to the President of the Security Council (4 June 1999)

Democratic Republic of Congo Security Council resolution 1341 (2001) on the situation concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Democratic Republic of Congo: exploitation of natural resources continues 'unabated,' UN panel reports An addendum to the April report of the UN panel of experts on the illegal exploitation of natural resources and other forms of wealth in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has recommended imposing a moratorium on the purchase and import of certain precious commodities from that country...

UN Panel Calls for Embargo on Congo Exploiters A United Nations appointed panel investigating the plundering of resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) urged the UN Security Council to immediately declare an embargo on the import or export of diamonds, gold, timber and minerals from or to Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda.

Report of the Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth of the Democratic Republic of Congo Illegal exploitation of the mineral and forest resources of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is taking place at an alarming rate. Two phases can be distinguished: mass-scale looting and the systematic and systemic exploitation of natural resources...

Liberia Security Council resolution 1343 (2001) on the situation in

UN Imposes Sanctions on Liberia's Diamond Export - (7th March 2001)

Sierra Leone Security Council resolution 1346 (2001) on the situation in Sierra Leone

Full Text Of UN Security Council Summary Report on Sierra Leone Diamonds S/2000/1150 - Summary report on the exploratory hearing on Sierra Leone Diamonds

Full Text of UN Security Council's Sierra Leone Resolution UN Security Council Recalling its previous resolutions and the statements of its President concerning the situation in Sierra Leone, and in particular its resolutions 1132 (1997) of 8 October 1997, 1171 (1998) of 5 June 1998 and 1299 (2000) of 19 May 2000...

UNITED NATIONS Sierra Leone Expert Panel Report The UN Expert Panel Report on Sierra Leone has been held up due to internal politicking by Russia and the Ukraine...

CURRENT EXHIBITION

28 November – 27 January 2007*

DIAMOND MATTERS Kadir van Lohuizen charts the trail from mines to consumers

Are you looking for the perfect diamond this Christmas? Diamonds may be expensive, but they shouldn’t cost lives. A remarkable new exhibition at London’s HOST gallery portrays the blood behind the bling, documenting the diamond industry from the mines of Africa to the boutiques of Paris, London and New York. Award winning photographer Kadir van Lohuizen’s fascinating journey tracks the precious stone on its socially-upward path as it is mined, traded, refined and ultimately sold.

The exhibition takes you into a world of glamour, horror and intrigue, which will be further exposed in the upcoming Hollywood film ‘Blood Diamond’, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Presented in association with Global Witness, the exhibition also provides practical advice for the individual consumer, showing how you can really make a difference and help make sure the diamond industry is keeping its promises to end the trade in conflict diamonds.

What are conflict diamonds? Conflict diamonds are diamonds that fuel conflict, civil war and human rights abuses. They have been responsible for funding recent conflicts in Africa, resulting in the death and displacement of millions of people. During these conflicts, profits from the illegal trade in diamonds, worth billions of dollars, were used by warlords and rebels to buy arms. An estimated 3.7 million people have died in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia and Sierra Leone in conflicts fuelled by diamonds.

Kadir van Lohuizen is represented by Agence VU. In 2006 he received the prestigious World Press Photo award for his work on the diamond industry.

Global Witness works to expose the corrupt exploitation of natural resources and international trade systems and their attendant human rights and environmental abuses.

*Please note, HOST will be closed from 23 December to 3 January