Global Witness, one of the founding organization of the Kimberley Process, announced that it will be leaving the organization. Citing issues with how the certification program has handled several recent situations, particularly in Zimbabwe, as being the tipping point for the organization after a long consideration process.

 

However, according to a JCK article, Global Witness’s goal isn’t to destroy the Kimberley Process (KP):

“This is not an attempt to tear down the KP overnight and present some kind of alternative,” said senior campaigner Annie Dunnebacke. “This is an attempt to re-focus the debate and draw attention to [supply chain] standards that have been developed that would be very much applicable to the diamond industry.”

 

The other remaining founder of the KP, Partnership Africa Canada promises to stick with the organization and help encourage changes that will further improve the KP over the next year when the United States becomes the chairman for the program. According to Alan Martin the research director at Partnership Africa Canada, there will be consequences however if this next year isn’t productive with changes to the KP.

“Our patience with the KP is not unlimited,” he says. “One of the mistakes that we’ve made is to view the Kimberley Process as the sole adjudicator of these issues. Yes, the KP is a necessary thing, and we are taking next year to push harder on reforms. If at the end of the year, we see the KP not taking some of these issues seriously and continuing to drag its feet, we will see other human rights groups having the same discussion Global Witness is.”

 

What are your thoughts on the Kimberley Process? What do you think most needs to be changed to make it a more powerful program?

For the full story, visit JCK’s article here.