A/RES/59/144
Recalling also Security Council resolution 1459 (2003) of 28 January 2003, in
which the Council strongly supported the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme 1
as a valuable contribution against trafficking in conflict diamonds,
Welcoming the important contribution of the Kimberley Process, which was
initiated by African diamond-producing countries,
Believing that the implementation of the Kimberley Process Certification
Scheme should substantially reduce the opportunity for conflict diamonds to play a
role in fuelling armed conflict and should help to protect legitimate trade and ensure
the effective implementation of the relevant resolutions on trade in conflict
diamonds,
Recalling its resolutions 55/56 of 1 December 2000, 56/263 of 13 March 2002,
57/302 of 15 April 2003 and 58/290 of 14 April 2004, in which it called for the
development and implementation of proposals for a simple, effective and pragmatic
international certification scheme for rough diamonds,
Welcoming, in this regard, the implementation of the Kimberley Process
Certification Scheme in such a way that it does not impede the legitimate trade in
diamonds or impose an undue burden on Governments or industry, particularly
smaller producers, and does not hinder the development of the diamond industry,
Welcoming also the decision of countries and one regional economic
integration organization to address the problem of conflict diamonds by
participating in the Kimberley Process and to implement the Kimberley Process
Certification Scheme,
Welcoming further the important contribution made by the diamond industry,
in particular the World Diamond Council, as well as civil society, to assist
international efforts to stop the trade in conflict diamonds,
Welcoming the voluntary self-regulation initiatives for the diamond industry
announced by the World Diamond Council, and recognizing that a system of such
voluntary self-regulation will contribute, as described in the Interlaken Declaration
of 5 November 2002 on the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme for Rough
Diamonds, 2 to ensuring the effectiveness of national systems of internal control for
rough diamonds,
Noting with appreciation that the Kimberley Process has pursued its
deliberations on an inclusive basis, involving concerned stakeholders, including
producing, exporting and importing States, the diamond industry and civil society,
Recognizing that State sovereignty should be fully respected and that the
principles of equality, mutual benefits and consensus should be adhered to,
Recognizing also that the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, which
came into effect on 1 January 2003, will be credible only if all participants have
established internal systems of control designed to eliminate the presence of conflict
diamonds in the chain of producing, exporting and importing rough diamonds within
their own territories, while taking into account that differences in production
methods and trading practices, as well as differences in institutional controls
thereof, may require different approaches to meet minimum standards,
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1
2
2
See A/57/489.
Ibid., annex 2.