(Rapaport… May 19, 2003) The World Trade Organization (WTO) General Council agreed by consensus to give the green light to the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme to block the trade in conflict diamonds on May 15, 2003.
A number of Kimberley participants, with whom the European Union (EU) had associated itself, had requested the WTO to grant a waiver, ensuring the full compatibility between the Kimberley system and WTO rules.
According to EU Trade Commissioner, Pascal Lamy: “The WTO green light should be welcomed as a clear demonstration of coherence among international rules. It shows that WTO rules are sufficiently flexible to accommodate the implementation of a United Nations mandated activity. Carefully drafted trade measures can and do support development.”
According to the WTO, “while there is no reason to believe that a conflict between WTO rules and UN activities would have occurred, indeed numerous implementing measures, including the EU ones, have already been put in place without raising doubts of WTO compatibility, the waiver eliminates any such risk beyond doubt.”