The State Department said in a Nov. 22 statement that the United States “regrets” that the Kimberley Process (KP) still has not taken action “to examine the role Russia’s diamond production plays in funding Russia’s war against Ukraine, as requested by Ukraine and supported by the United States and others.
“Despite the KP’s mandate to address how the trade in rough diamonds fuels conflict, Russia and a small number of other KP participants objected to the request,” the statement said. “For the second year in a row, Russia also refused to support a public communique that acknowledged Ukraine’s request.”
The State Department also commented on the KP’s lifting its 11-year embargo of diamonds from the Central African Republic (CAR).
“This advances our shared priority of ensuring the people of CAR are able to economically benefit from their natural resources in a way that does not undercut the country’s peace,” it said. “The United States calls upon all KP participants and observers, including industry and civil society who advocated for the lifting of restrictions, to implement enhanced vigilance, necessary to ensure the responsible resumption of exports.”
The U.S. statement follows a similar release from the European Union, which called certain remarks made by Kimberley Process chair Ahmed bin Sulayem of the United Arab Emirates “regrettable.”
In his speech at the closing of the KP’s annual plenary earlier this month, bin Sulayem criticized the EU’s plan for “nodes” intended to prevent Russian diamonds from entering G7 countries, which he said could undercut the sovereignty of African nations.
The plenary took place in Dubai from Nov. 12 to 15. The UAE chaired the Kimberley Process in 2024 and will act as custodial chair next year, with Thailand serving as vice chair.
(Photo courtesy of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre)
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