What is the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, and what problem does it aim to solve?

• A. The KP is a certification system designed to prevent the trade of conflict diamonds by ensuring rough diamonds are ethically sourced from non-conflict areas.
• B. The KP certifies diamonds to ensure they are natural.
• C. The KP standardizes diamond grading across markets.
• D. The KP provides tax compliance for diamond shipments.

Answer: (A)

The main idea behind the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme is to curb the trade in so-called conflict or blood diamonds by creating a system that certifies rough diamonds as conflict-free before they can move between countries. In practice, this means shipments of rough diamonds are accompanied by a Kimberley Process Certificate that attests the origin of the stones and that they are not financing armed conflict. The scheme brings together governments, the diamond industry, and civil society to create a traceable, export-and-import control mechanism: a government authority approves exports, another government validates imports, and the certificate travels with the shipment to confirm its status.

This framework was created in response to violence and human rights abuses linked to the diamond trade in several regions during the 1990s and early 2000s, with the aim of removing funding for conflicts from legitimate markets. It does not address every aspect of ethical sourcing, nor does it deal with grading or taxation, and it focuses specifically on rough diamonds and the potential for conflict, not on distinguishing natural from synthetic stones.