Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 56: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide details of the implementation of the Kimberly process in Africa. [31724/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) is an international initiative to stem the flow of "conflict diamonds". Conflict diamonds are rough diamonds used by rebel movements to finance wars against legitimate governments. The trade in these illicit diamonds has fuelled decades of devastating conflicts in countries such as Angola, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone.

The KPCS represents a cooperative effort by government, industry and civil society to impose extensive requirements on its members before allowing them to certify shipments of rough diamonds as "conflict-free". The KPCS has 49 members, representing 75 countries. The EU is a member in its own right.

The Kimberley Process has been confronted by many challenges since its launch in 2002. Concern persists that a number of uncooperative governments are undermining its effectiveness. There has been growing discontent among civil society regarding the credibility of the KPCS, focusing on the political will, particularly on the part of some African governments, to implement the commitments they have signed up to.

The KPCS has established a Working Group on Monitoring (WGM) which monitors implementation at country level and operates a programme of review visits to producer countries. Currently the WGM is exploring strengthening KPCS vigilance through the development of a diamond footprint and enhancing regional cooperation. Ghana has led the way in both of these initiatives. However serious concern regarding the situation in Cote d'Ivoire was highlighted in the UN Group of Experts mid-term report in April 2009. Concern also persists with respect to smuggling and fraud in the Mano River basin and in the DRC and to fraudulent certificates emanating from Namibia and Guinea.

The country which arouses most concern is Zimbabwe, where there are widespread allegations of government-led human rights abuses in the Marange diamond field. As a result of these allegations, the KPCS sent an investigation team to Zimbabwe in late 2008. The findings of the team called on Zimbabwean officials, at a minimum, to suspend mining in the Marange field, demilitarize the operations and investigate the role of the military and the police. The team found substantial indications of non-compliance with the KPCS in a number of areas but primarily arising from the situation at Marange. While the interim report included a recommendation to suspend Zimbabwe from the KPCS, the report has not yet been finalised. Further steps, including meetings with the Zimbabwe government, are required before the suspension could be imposed by the KPCS.

Increasing the effectiveness of the KPCS will require greater political commitment by governments in producer countries and enhanced regional cooperation. The KPCS has also called for greater efforts at government level to integrate the process into their customs and border controls.

Signatories restated their commitment to the KPCS at a three-day inter-sessional meeting in Namibia in June, 2009. The next Plenary meeting of the KPCS will take place in Namibia in November 2009.