United Nations
General Assembly
A/RES/59/144
Distr.: General
28 February 2005
Fifty-ninth session
Agenda item 21
Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 15 December 2004
[without reference to a Main Committee (A/59/L.46 and Add.1)]
59/144. The role of diamonds in fuelling conflict: breaking the
link between the illicit transaction of rough diamonds and
armed conflict as a contribution to prevention and
settlement of conflicts
The General Assembly,
Recognizing that the trade in conflict diamonds is a matter of serious
international concern, which can be directly linked to the fuelling of armed conflict,
the activities of rebel movements aimed at undermining or overthrowing legitimate
Governments and the illicit traffic in and proliferation of armaments, especially
small arms and light weapons,
Recognizing also the devastating impact of conflicts fuelled by the trade in
conflict diamonds on the peace, safety and security of people in affected countries,
and the systematic and gross human rights violations that have been perpetrated in
such conflicts,
Noting the negative impact of such conflicts on regional stability and the
obligations placed upon States by the Charter of the United Nations regarding the
maintenance of international peace and security,
Recognizing, therefore, that continued action to curb the trade in conflict
diamonds is imperative,
Recognizing also the positive benefits of the legitimate diamond trade to
producing countries, and underlining the need for continued international action to
prevent the problem of conflict diamonds from negatively affecting the trade in
legitimate diamonds, which makes a critical contribution to the economies of many
of the producing, exporting and importing States, especially developing States,
Noting that the vast majority of rough diamonds produced in the world are
from legitimate sources,
Recalling the Charter and all the relevant resolutions of the Security Council
related to conflict diamonds, and determined to contribute to and support the
implementation of the measures provided for in those resolutions,
04-48490