A/RES/65/137
Acknowledging that the diamond sector is an important catalyst for promoting
economic and social development, which are necessary for poverty reduction and
meeting the requirements of the Millennium Development Goals in many producing
countries, particularly in developing countries,
Bearing in mind 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 the
producing, exporting and importing 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,
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,
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Welcoming the important contribution of the Kimberley Process, which was
initiated by African diamond-producing countries,
Noting with satisfaction that the implementation of the Kimberley Process
Certification Scheme continues to have a positive impact in reducing the
opportunity for conflict diamonds to play a role in fuelling armed conflict and
would help to protect legitimate trade and ensure the effective implementation of the
relevant resolutions on trade in conflict diamonds,
Acknowledging that lessons learned from the Kimberley Process may be useful
for the work of the Peacebuilding Commission in its consideration of the countries
included in its agenda, as appropriate,
Recalling its resolutions 55/56 of 1 December 2000, 56/263 of 13 March 2002,
57/302 of 15 April 2003, 58/290 of 14 April 2004, 59/144 of 15 December 2004,
60/182 of 20 December 2005, 61/28 of 4 December 2006, 62/11 of 26 November
2007, 63/134 of 11 December 2008 and 64/109 of 11 December 2009, in which it
called for the development and implementation as well as a periodic review 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 as not to impede the legitimate trade in
diamonds or impose an undue burden on Governments or industry, particularly
smaller producers, nor hinder the development of the diamond industry,
Welcoming also the decision of forty-nine Kimberley Process Participants,
representing seventy-five countries, including the twenty-seven members of the
European Union represented by the European Commission, to address the problem
of conflict diamonds by participating in the Process and implementing the
Kimberley Process Certification Scheme,
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1
2
See A/57/489.