Zimbabwe’s armed forces are engaging in the forced labor of children and adults, and are torturing and beating local villagers on the diamond fields of Marange district in eastern Zimbabwe, Human Rights Watch have said in a report. The military, which remains under the control of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), the former [...]
Andy Bone: “Kimberley Process Must be Far More Vocal and Proactive”
Andy Bone, has told the Kimberley Process intersessional meeting in Namibia that the Kimberley Process must be far more vocal and proactive in engaging with the arms of government, drawing attention to the issues that affect us all and calling for effective action and support that will assist it in achieving its objectives. His entire [...]
Civil Society Groups Warn Effectiveness of Kimberley Process Compromised
A landmark scheme established in 2003 to prevent trade in conflict diamonds is potentially failing in its objectives, campaigners have said. Ahead of a key meeting of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) in Namibia, a coalition of civil society groups said that despite having all the tools in place, the scheme was failing effectively [...]
Ian Smillie Leaves PAC
Ian Smillie, Research Coordinator with Partnership Africa Canada, has decided to leave his position at the end of July, 2009. Ian has worked on the conflict diamonds issue with PAC since 1998 and has represented PAC in the Kimberley Process from the beginning. He was one of the architects of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, [...]