10 In October 2006, the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe moved into Marange to “mop up” and began purchasing diamonds from illegal, unlicensed local miners.35 6 KIMBERLEY PROCESS – THE DEBATE RAGES “Every single rich alluvial diamond deposit ever found in Africa has ended in war…. There have been no exceptions.” Andrew Cranswick, CEO, Africa Consolidated Resources 36 The aim of the Kimberley Process (KP) is to exclude conflict diamonds from international markets and to prevent diamond-fuelled wars. 37 At its core, the KP is about stopping human rights abuse linked to diamonds. “The Kimberley Process (KP) was set up as a result of campaigning by Global Witness, Partnership Africa Canada and others to expose the role of diamonds in funding vicious conflicts in Angola, Sierra Leone and Liberia. In the face of growing international pressure, the diamond industry and campaigners met in Kimberley, South Africa, in May 2000 to determine how to tackle the problem.” 38 After three years of negotiating, the Kimberley Process was formed. The resulting Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) is an import-export certification scheme which requires participating governments to certify the origin of rough diamonds and put in place effective controls to prevent conflict stones from entering the supply chain. Participant countries can only trade rough diamonds with other members. In 2010, 75 governments were participating in the KP. 39 While the KP’s technical provisions are implemented by governments, “its tripartite structure means that non-governmental organisations and the diamond industry hold official status as observers and take part, along with member states, in all working groups and decision-making processes. The scheme relies on consensus-based decision-making, which often means slow progress or inaction on 35 Rapaport, ‘Timeline of Events at Marange Diamond Fields’, February 2011: http://www.diamonds.net/cms/Zimbabwe/docs/Marange_Timeline-041110-_2_ 36 Partnership Africa Canada, ‘Diamonds and Clubs’, June 2010, pg 1: http://www.pacweb.org/Documents/diamonds_KP/Zimbabwe-Diamonds_and_clubs-eng-June2010.pdf 37 Global Witness, ‘Return of the blood diamond’, 14 June 2010, pg 5: http://www.globalwitness.org/library/return-blood-diamond-deadly-race-control-zimbabwes-new-founddiamond-wealth 38 Global Witness, ‘Return of the blood diamond’, 14 June 2010, pg 5: http://www.globalwitness.org/library/return-blood-diamond-deadly-race-control-zimbabwes-new-founddiamond-wealth 39 Global Witness, ‘Return of the blood diamond’, 14 June 2010, pg 5: http://www.globalwitness.org/library/return-blood-diamond-deadly-race-control-zimbabwes-new-founddiamond-wealth