Final Communiqué Moscow Meeting
Kimberley Process Meeting in Moscow July 3-4, 2001
Final Communiqué
All participants agreed that significant progress was made in identifying the essential elements of a system to combat conflict diamonds. The participants further expected to be able to present to the 56th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the report on progress required from the Kimberley Process.
On July 3-4, 2001 the Kimberley Process met in Plenary Session in Moscow. Representatives of 34 governments, the European Commission, as well as representatives of the international diamond industry, notably the World Diamond Council (WDC), and non-governmental organisations took part in the meeting. The main objective of the meeting was to define minimum acceptable standards for an international system of certification of rough diamonds, consistent with the mandate set out in the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 55/56 of 1 December 2000.
The Kimberley Process Task Force met on 2 July in preparation for the Plenary Session. The Task Force considered a framework paper outlining proposed essential elements of the envisaged system of certification. The Task Force also welcomed the results of the global survey on import and export controls relating to the trade in rough diamonds and took note of several discussion papers prepared in response to the decisions taken at the previous Kimberley Process meeting in Brussels, in April 2001.
Participants at the Plenary agreed in principle on the basic elements of an international system for certification of rough diamonds. These elements will be elaborated further in preparation for the next meeting of the Kimberley Process. This will include the formal and content of certificates accompanying rough diamonds, plus the minimum standards which both support those certificates and underpin the whole system.
Russia presented a model certificate and container sample for storing and transporting of rough diamonds that might be used within the framework of the international scheme being developed, and Guinea presented its Certificate of Origin that was introduced on 18 June 2001.
The importance of putting in place adequate national monitoring and control systems to promote transparency and accountability was agreed upon. The progress achieved in implementing the sanctions regimes in Angola and Sierra Leone was welcomed.
Participants welcomed proposals from the World Diamond Council for a system of industry self-regulation, based on a chain of warranties. Wherever possible these warranties would be legally endorsed by the respective governments. It was recognised that such a system of self-regulation would form an integral part of the overall certification scheme.
Based on the achievements of the Moscow plenary meeting the Kimberley Process is able to proceed with the further definition and refinement of detailed proposals for the envisaged certification scheme. The next meeting of the Kimberley Process is scheduled to take place in London in September 2001.