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Press releases and resources for journalists from Global Witness. For general media enquiries please call + 44 (0) 7912 517 127 or email [email protected]. For enquiries about our EU campaigns please contact +32 487 80 31 61.

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| Jan. 29, 2003
- Diamonds
- Responsible Minerals
Global Witness Welcomes Passage of UN Security Council Resolution Endorsing the Kimberley Process

But More Action Needed to Eliminate Trade in Conflict Diamonds Global Witness applauds the UN Security Council for passing a Security Council Resolution under Chapter VI of the UN Charter (i) strongly supporting the Kimberley Process, the international diamond certification scheme to stop the trade in conflict diamonds.(ii) The Resolution expresses “deep concern” about the role diamonds play in fuelling conflicts, encourages the widest participation of Member States in the scheme, and urges participants in the Kimberley Process to resolve outstanding issues.
| Dec. 10, 2002
- Diamonds
- Responsible Minerals
United Nations Lifts Diamond Sanctions On Angola But Keeps Sanctions On Sierra Leone Diamonds, Meanwhile Congo Still Has No Diamond Sanctions. Does The UN Have A Coordinated Conflict Diamond Policy?
| Dec. 5, 2002
- Diamonds
- Responsible Minerals
NGOs Cautiously Welcome The Launch Of Kimberley Process

INTERLAKEN, SWITZERLAND, 5 November 2002 Non-Government Organisations representing a broad coalition welcomed the decision to launch the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) from January 1, 2003. But concerns remain. The meeting in Interlaken was important given that the issue of conflict diamonds has been in the public eye for over four years. • NGOs welcomed industry commitment to working with governments and civil society on the private sector’s role and responsibility in tracking rough diamonds.
| Nov. 20, 2002
- Diamonds
- Responsible Minerals
Global Witness Calls on the European Commission and Member States to Adopt a Strong Regulation to Combat Trade in Conflict Diamonds

Global Witness is calling for the European Commission (EC) and its 15 Member States to adopt a tough regulation to combat the trade in conflict diamonds. The regulation must include the concept of extra-territoriality and must not contain any sunset provisions. Global Witness believes a strong message must be sent out to conflict and illicit diamond traders that their ways of doing business are over and that their illegal business practices in non-EC member countries will no longer be tolerated.
| Nov. 1, 2002
- Diamonds
- Responsible Minerals
Time is Running Out: 61 days for Governments and the Diamond Industry to Take Action to Eliminate Trade in Conflict Diamonds

A long-awaited diamond industry ‘chain of warranties’, aimed at halting the trade in conflict diamonds, is so general that it is virtually worthless, say NGOs that have been campaigning on the issue over the past four years. International negotiations on a certification system for rough diamonds will culminate at a Ministerial Meeting of the ‘Kimberley Process’, on November 5, in Interlaken, Switzerland.
| Oct. 25, 2002
- Diamonds
- Responsible Minerals
World Diamond Cop-Out : NGOs Call on the Diamond Industry to Clean Up Its Act

As the World Diamond Congress (WDC) meets in London on 27-29 October 2002, ActionAid, Amnesty International and Global Witness will be there with a strong message for the diamond industry: the time for talking is over. The diamond industry must act now to eliminate the international trade in conflict diamonds. The NGO coalition will be at the WDC meeting to draw delegate’s attention to the fact that there are only 66 days before governments launch the Kimberley Process, an international control system for diamonds.
| Oct. 23, 2002
- Diamonds
- Responsible Minerals
UN Security Council must insist on stronger diamond controls

NGOs WELCOME LONG AWAITED UN CONGO REPORT SECURITY COUNCIL MUST INSIST ON STRONGER DIAMOND CONTROLS Oct 23, 2002 - Global Witness and Partnership Africa Canada today welcomed the Final Report of the UN Panel of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and called on the United Nations Security Council to strengthen systems aimed at halting the pillage of natural resources by corrupt officials, neighbouring countries and rogue elements in the private sector.
| Oct. 5, 2002
- Diamonds
- Responsible Minerals
The Diamond Industry - Do They Have a Conflict Diamond Strategy at All?

Representatives of the international diamond industry are meeting in Antwerp this October 7th and 8th for a high profile conference to discuss International Diamond Policies and Strategies. Former Vice President Al Gore and the President of Botswana Festus Mogae are to attend. However Global Witness, after nearly four years of proposals and industry rhetoric wonders whether the diamond industry has any strategy or policy for implementing the Kimberley Process regulations on January 1st 2003, especially the much-discussed industry run and audited system of warranties.
| Dec. 21, 2001
- Diamonds
- Responsible Minerals
Global Witness Briefing Document On Angola: Can Controls Work?

Global Witness releases a briefing document today examining the system of diamond controls currently being introduced to conflict torn Angola in an effort to bring regulation to the notoriously hard to control diamond industry and overcome the problem of conflict diamonds. The system of controls currently being implemented in Angola is largely in response to consistent pressure from Global Witness, the United Nations Monitoring Mechanism on Angolan Sanctions and in an effort to address the future implications of the Kimberley Process international certification system.
| Nov. 30, 2001
- Diamonds
- Responsible Minerals
NGOs fear Conflict Diamond Process may fail, industrialized countries pick and choose on terrorism

Industrialized countries have two standards where terrorism is concerned: one for themselves, and another for Africa. That is the concern of NGOs that have been participating in the inter-governmental ‘Kimberley Process’, initiated by the Government of South Africa 18 months ago in an attempt to end diamond-fuelled wars in Angola, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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