Conflict Diamonds and the Kimberley Process

The Kimberley Process (KP) is an international, multi-stakeholder trade regime created in 2003 to increase transparency and oversight in the diamond supply chain in order to eliminate trade in conflict diamonds, defined as rough diamonds sold by rebel groups or their allies to fund conflict against legitimate governments. The KP facilitates legitimate trade in rough diamonds among participating countries by mandating domestic implementation of a certification scheme that makes the trade more transparent and secure, and prohibits trade with non-participants.  Fifty-nine participants representing 85 countries, including the United States and the EU (which represents EU member states) participate in the KP. Industry and civil society participate as observers. The KP certification scheme requires rough diamonds to be shipped in tamper-proof containers and exported with a Kimberley Process Certificate that certifies that the rough diamonds have not benefited rebel movements.

The State Department’s Office of Multilateral Trade Affairs in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs coordinates U.S. Government implementation of the Kimberley Process pursuant to the Clean Diamond Trade Act of 2003, represents the United States in annual Kimberley Process meetings, and oversees the U.S. Kimberley Process Authority, a non-profit entity that issues Kimberley Process Certificates for U.S. exporters.

For further information, contact the U.S. State Department’s Senior Advisor on Conflict Minerals & U.S. Kimberley Process Representative at USKimberleyProcess@state.gov.

To obtain a Kimberley Process Certificate or to learn about becoming a licensee, please contact the U.S. Kimberley Process Authority: https://uskpa.org.