Human Rights Watch (HRW) is urging the global jewellery industry to not source diamonds originating from Zimbabwe.
In an open letter posted on its website and sent to major diamond retailers, HRW is asking the industry to refrain from purchasing or selling diamonds mined in the African country.
The letter states that as of last October, an HRW investigation showed the situation at the Marange diamond fields in Chiadzwa remains unchanged since it published a report last June detailing ongoing human rights abuses, beatings, forced labour, and the killing of 200 people in December 2008. The Kimberley Process’s (KP’s) decision not to suspend Zimbabwe from the scheme calls into question all diamonds exported from the country, says HRW. According to the group, the KP says its mandate regarding conflict diamonds only covers rebel groups and not abusive governments.
“Because of the prevalence of smuggling, the lack of transparency within Zimbabwe’s diamond industry, insufficient controls at the country’s borders with neighbouring countries, and weak certification mechanisms, there is no way to guarantee Marange stones are not being mixed with those produced at Zimbabwe’s other two mines,” writes Arvind Ganesan, HRW’s director of business and human rights division.
“Moreover, once the Marange diamonds leave Zimbabwe, they are intermingled with diamonds from other countries, creating a serious risk that Zimbabwean diamonds extracted in an abusive human rights environment may be sold in the United States and elsewhere.”
HRW is asking diamond suppliers to:
1) Publicly state they will not buy or sell diamonds originating from Zimbabwe as long as human rights violations continue at the Marange diamonds fields;
2) Urge national representatives and the World Diamond Council (WDC)—which participates in the KP—to broaden the definition of conflict diamonds to include diamonds acquired by governments committing human rights abuses;
3) Ensure supply chains do not include diamonds sourced in Zimbabwe and require suppliers to provide proof their diamonds do not come from Zimbabwe.
4) Provide consumers with evidence-based information about the origin of the diamonds they wish to purchase.
