Ukraine Russia diamond industry

Research Report: KP is Looking at the Ukraine War with “20-Year-Old Lens”

A new research report, titled “Russian Diamonds and the War in Ukraine” and issued by the Belgium-based International Peace Information Service (IPIS), is critical of the Kimberley Process’ “failure to act on Russian diamonds,” IDEX Online reports.

 

“Following several failed reform attempts, the Kimberley Process still looks at conflict through a 20-year-old lens.” says Hans Merket, a researcher at IPIS. “This narrow definition has over the years led the KP to ignore various cases where public or private security forces, and not rebels, were inflicting violence and conflict to control diamond mining areas. 

 

“It is therefore highly unlikely that the KP would consider action on a matter that differs even more from a scenario where rebels control diamond mines,” he added. 

 

According to Merket, “KP could effectively halt the trade in Russian diamonds through India or China if it chose to, following US and EU sanctions.” It is unlikely, according to him, that any action will be taken when KP members meet in Gaborone, Botswana, in June.

 

alrosa rough diamonds russia
Credit: Alrosa

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