SPEECH BY PETER MEEUS, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE HRD AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE WORLD DIAMOND CONGRESS,

17 July 2000, THE BOURLA, ANTWERP.

 

It is with very great pleasure that I welcome you in Antwerp on behalf of the Diamond High Council, the representative of the diamond industry in Belgium. Antwerp World Diamond Centre is honoured to receive the international diamond community in the city that for more than 500 years is connected with diamonds.

Ladies and gentleman let me be the voice of this Congress by saying that the issue of diamonds being traded in African conflict zones is priority number one of the industry world-wide.

Contributing in finding solutions to end these conflicts is for us a matter of civil obligation, ethical commerce and honour, the principles on which our industry is built. No other industry can claim to work on basis of trust and confidence like the diamond industry. An industry where a man’s word has a greater value then a bank guarantee. An industry also that therefore requires of its members a high ethical standard. An industry finally that acts against its members who don’t respect these rules.

Ladies and gentleman, I am very happy the political world confirms it is not the diamond industry as a whole that is on trial when we talk about conflict diamonds. Indeed, diamond production in conflict regions represent 4% of the world production. And yes, ending the African conflicts is matter of the world’s conscience. Everybody is involved, from the small trader in natural resources, over the political adviser, to the civil society and not in the least the Africans themselves.

We welcome the evolution in witch the industry is getting more involved and is called upon its responsibility for global problems. But on the other hand, an industry doesn’t have the same tools as the governments. Tools such as peace enforcement, which, as confirms the Financial Times, could solve the problem in a country like Sierra Leone in seven days.

An industry has to conform itself with the rules national and international bodies of governance decide upon. It is not up to the industry to judge legislation, nor is it to the industry to choose part in a conflict. We don’t judge, we apply. That is what this Congress can contribute in reaching mechanisms that allow making the international embargoes more effective. Complying with the international rules, that is what this is all about. This is not the trial of the diamond industry.

We ask this Congress to work out a system that allows the industry to take immediate measures to exclude busters of the embargoes permanently. We don’t want these individuals. The sooner they are kicked out, the better.

But it is the sacred duty of the industry to stress out its point of view when new structures and rules are the subject of the public debate and risk to affect the industry.

The Antwerp Diamond High Council took the lead in this matter. We worked together with the Angolan government in order to create more transparency on what is exported in the producing country and what is imported in the importing trade centre. We’ve been working since October 1999 and an agreement was reach in March this year.

Yesterday, we were in Freetown together with the US State Department and the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office to propose a similar co-operation with the government of Sierra Leone and were able to come to conclusions. President Kabbah and Minister of Mines Deen agreed upon a certificate of origin and the setting up of a centralised export structure from which all data regarding exports shall be electronically sent to the importing countries. The Diamond High Council has offered to install this structure and to send experts as soon as Sierra Leone can receive them. This way, we tackle the problem of illicit trade and we sincerely hope the new mechanism will get the support of other importing centres.

Because, ladies and gentleman, the only difference between a diamond and a conflict diamond is the conflict. So end the conflict and there will be only diamonds. Diamonds, that have contributed in an important way to the welfare in several African and other countries. Several millions of families live from the diamond industry.

Let’s not make again a historical error by trying to change the rules of market economy or neglect the capacities of science. Which is what happens if we talk about a global certification scheme where every diamond has to be coded. We are talking about 860 million diamonds that are polished every year. Even in the years of glory of communism, they didn’t dream about such a bureaucratic structure. And even if we could create this way more new jobs then we have polishers now, and consumers would be ready to pay for the costs if it, we would start to certificate the 96% of the diamonds that are conflict free. This is killing a mosquito with a bulldozer.

So that’s why we ask for an honest debate. That means that the complexity and the real proportions of the issue may not be forgotten.

A conflict is in the first place a matter of people. People who fight out their differences with weapons. Weapons, that are supplied by big industries from important countries. Despite embargo’s, illegal weapon deliveries have never been sanctioned up till now. Despite the conflict, international community didn’t sent peace enforcers.

And a conflict needs oil, if it isn’t in the ground as natural resource then to fuel machinery. Oil fuels from all natural resources probably the most conflicts around the world. Are we going to ask to put a flag on every barrel? Do our good citizens have to worry every time they take gas for their car if they don’t support indirectly a conflict or a natural disaster?

Are these other industries too big for us? Is the diamond industry, a relatively small industry concentrated in a handful of countries therefore taken as example? Isn’t it more effective to take out the weapons, the oil and the bank accounts to tackle a conflict? Or are we just an ideal victim for a play in which figure Naomi Campbell wearing a diamond necklace and a poor African girl with cut of hands?

If all present here, diamond industry, civil society and political could ask the same clarity, self-regulation and control and work together and clean our garden, I am convinced we will be able to put an end to these conflicts.

So ladies and gentlemen, as diamond industry we take the challenge. The Antwerp Diamond High Council worked out structural solutions for in- and exports. Now its time all diamond trading centres take the same measures. You will agree with me that it would be unacceptable if Antwerp looses trade because it tackles illicit trade. Then, the humanitarian arguments would at the end been used for commercial reasons.

This World Diamond Congress will try to agree upon measures that apply world-wide. It can be an important step forward. Ladies and gentleman, friends from the diamond industry, let us take the lead and show the world what an industry that takes its responsibility can do. It would be a historical example.