A/RES/57/302 Recalling also Security Council resolution 1459 (2003) of 28 January 2003, in which the Council strongly supported the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme,1 as well as the ongoing process to refine and implement the regime, as a valuable contribution against trafficking in conflict diamonds, Recalling further its resolutions 55/56 of 1 December 2000 and 56/263 of 13 March 2002, in which it called for the development of proposals for a simple and workable international certification scheme for rough diamonds, based primarily on national certification schemes and on internationally agreed minimum standards, under the Kimberley Process, Believing that the introduction 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 the objective of ensuring that the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme is simple, effective and pragmatic, that it does not impede the present legitimate trade in diamonds or impose an undue burden on Governments or industry, particularly smaller producers, and that it does not hinder the development of the diamond industry, Acknowledging the important initiatives already taken to address the problem of conflict diamonds, in particular by the Governments of Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea and Sierra Leone and by other key producing, exporting and importing countries, and encouraging those Governments to continue the initiatives, Acknowledging also the continued efforts of regional organizations and other groups of countries to curb conflict diamonds, Welcoming 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 also 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 controls for rough diamonds, Recognizing that the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme 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, Welcoming the important contribution of the Kimberley Process, which was initiated by African diamond-producing countries, 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, _______________ 1 2 2 See A/57/489. A/57/489, annex 2.