UNGA Resolution 55/56


01 December 2000


Fifty-fifth session
Agenda item 175
The role of diamonds in fuelling conflict

RESOLUTION ON THE ROLE OF DIAMONDS IN FUELLING CONFLICT: Breaking the link between the illicit transaction of rough diamonds and armed conflict as a contribution to prevention and settlement of conflicts

Angola, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Papua New Guinea, Canada, Cyprus, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Finland, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lesotho, Luxembourg, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Moldovia, Romania, Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The General Assembly,

Expressing its concern over the problem of conflict diamonds in fuelling conflicts in a number of countries and the devastating impact of these conflicts on peace, safety and security for people in affected countries,

Understanding conflict diamonds to be rough diamonds which are used by rebel movements to finance their military activities including attempts to undermine or overthrow legitimate governments,

Recognising that the vast majority of rough diamonds produced in the world is from legitimate sources,

Recognising also that the legitimate trade in diamonds makes a critical contribution to economic development in many countries world-wide,

Acknowledging that the problem of conflict diamonds is of serious international concern, and that measures to address the problem should engage all concerned parties including producing, processing, exporting and importing countries, as well as the diamond industry,

Recognising the need to address the problem of rough diamonds originating from territory of diamond producing countries that is under military occupation by another country,

Emphasising that these measures should be effective and pragmatic, consistent with international law, including relevant trade provisions and commitments, and should not impede the current legitimate trade in diamonds or impose undue burden on governments or industry, particularly smaller producers, and not hinder the development of the diamond industry,

Recalling all the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, including its resolutions 1173 (1998) of 12 June 1998, 1295 (2000) of 18 April 2000 and 1306 (2000) of 5 July 2000, as well as resolution 1304 (2000) of 16 June 2000,

Highlighting the additional, important initiatives already taken to address this problem, in particular by the Governments of Angola and Sierra Leone and by other key producing, processing, exporting and importing countries, as well as by the diamond industry and civil society, including the creation by industry of the World Diamond Council,

Welcoming with appreciation the initiative by the African diamond producing countries to launch an inclusive consultation process of governments, industry and civil society, referred to as the Kimberley Process, to deal with the issue,

Noting the Ministerial Statement (A/55/638) issued at the conclusion of the meeting on diamonds held in Pretoria on 21 September 2000,

Noting also the final document (A/55/628) of the London Inter-Governmental Meeting on Conflict Diamonds held on 25 - 26 October 2000,


Calls upon all States to implement fully Security Council measures targeting the link between the trade in conflict diamonds and the supply to rebel movements of weapons, fuel or other prohibited material;


Urges all States to support efforts of the diamond producing, processing, exporting and importing countries and the diamond industry to find ways to break the link between conflict diamonds and armed conflict and encourages other appropriate initiatives to this end, including inter alia improved international cooperation on law enforcement;


Expresses the need to give urgent and careful consideration to devising effective and pragmatic measures to address the problem of conflict diamonds, the elements of which would include:


the creation and implementation of a simple and workable international certification scheme for rough diamonds,
that the scheme would be based primarily on national certification schemes,
the need for national practices to meet internationally-agreed minimum standards,
the aim of securing the widest possible participation,
the need for diamond exporting, processing and importing states to act in concert,
the need for appropriate arrangements to help ensure compliance, acting with respect for sovereignty of states,
the need for transparency;
Welcomes the offer by the Government of Namibia to convene a workshop of the world`s leading diamond exporting, processing and importing countries, continuing the momentum of the Kimberley Process to consider technical aspects pertaining to the envisaged international certification scheme for rough diamonds;
Encourages the countries participating in the Kimberley Process to consider expanding the membership of the Process in order to allow all key states with a significant interest in the world diamond industry to participate in further meetings, and to move ahead with the intergovernmental negotiating process to develop detailed proposals for the envisaged international certification scheme for rough diamonds, in close collaboration with the diamond industry and taking into account the views of relevant elements of civil society;
Requests the countries participating in the Kimberley Process to present to the General Assembly, no later than its 56th session, a report on progress made;
Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its 56th session the item entitled "The role of diamonds in fuelling conflict".