A/RES/55/56 Highlighting the additional important initiatives already taken to address this problem, in particular by the Governments of Angola and Sierra Leone and by other key producing, processing, exporting and importing countries, as well as by the diamond industry and civil society, including the creation by the industry of the World Diamond Council, Welcoming with appreciation the initiative by the African diamond-producing countries to launch an inclusive consultation process of Governments, industry and civil society, referred to as the Kimberley Process, to deal with the issue, Taking note of the ministerial statement issued at the conclusion of the meeting on diamonds held in Pretoria on 21 September 2000, 1 Also taking note of the communiqué issued by the London Intergovernmental Meeting on Conflict Diamonds, held on 25 and 26 October 2000, 2 1. Calls upon all States to implement fully Security Council measures targeting the link between the trade in conflict diamonds and the supply to rebel movements of weapons, fuel or other prohibited materiel; 2. Urges all States to support efforts of the diamond producing, processing, exporting and importing countries and the diamond industry to find ways to break the link between conflict diamonds and armed conflict, and encourages other appropriate initiatives to this end, including improved international cooperation on law enforcement; 3. Expresses the need to give urgent and careful consideration to devising effective and pragmatic measures to address the problem of conflict diamonds, the elements of which would include: (a) The creation and implementation of a simple and workable international certification scheme for rough diamonds; (b) Basing the scheme primarily on national certification schemes; (c) The need for national practices to meet internationally agreed minimum standards; (d) The aim of securing the widest possible participation; (e) The need for diamond processing, exporting and importing States to act in concert; (f) The need for appropriate arrangements to help to ensure compliance, acting with respect for the sovereignty of States; (g) The need for transparency; 4. Welcomes the offer by the Government of Namibia to convene a workshop of the world’s leading diamond processing, exporting and importing countries, continuing the momentum of the Kimberley Process to consider technical aspects pertaining to the envisaged international certification scheme for rough diamonds; 5. Encourages the countries participating in the Kimberley Process to consider expanding the membership of the Process in order to allow all key States 1 2 2 A/55/638, annex. A/55/628, annex.

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