A/RES/56/263 workable international certification scheme for rough diamonds, based primarily on national certification schemes and on internationally agreed minimum standards, Believing that the opportunity for conflict diamonds to play a role in fuelling armed conflict can be substantially reduced by introducing an international certification scheme for rough diamonds and that such a scheme would help to protect legitimate trade and ensure the effective implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions containing sanctions on trade in conflict diamonds, Emphasizing that the envisaged international certification scheme for rough diamonds should be simple, effective and pragmatic, should not impede the present legitimate trade in diamonds or impose an undue burden on Governments or industry, particularly smaller producers, and should 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 those 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 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 to ensuring the effectiveness of national systems of internal controls for rough diamonds, Recognizing that an international certification scheme for rough diamonds would only be credible 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 made by the Kimberley Process, which was initiated by African producing countries, towards developing proposals for the envisaged international certification scheme, 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 the principles of equality, mutual benefits and consensus should be adhered to, 1. Notes with appreciation the reports on the Kimberley Process1 submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 55/56, and congratulates the participants in the Kimberley Process on their achievements thus far; _______________ 1 2 See A/56/502, A/56/675 and A/56/775.