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Interlaken Declaration on the Kimberley
Process Certification Scheme for Rough Diamonds, 5 November
2002
We, the Ministers and other Heads of Delegation of
Angola, Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada,
Côte d'Ivoire, People’s Republic of China,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo,
the European Community, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, India,
Israel, Japan, Republic of Korea, Lesotho, Malta, Mauritius,
Mexico, Namibia, Norway, Philippines, Russian Federation,
Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Switzerland,
Tanzania, Thailand, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United
States of America and Zimbabwe, meeting in Interlaken,
Switzerland, on 5 November 2002, on the occasion of
the launch of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme:
Re-iterating our deep concern about the international
trade in conflict diamonds, which can be directly linked
to the fuelling of armed conflicts, the activities of
rebel movements aimed at undermining or overthrowing
legitimate governments and the illicit traffic in, and
proliferation of, armaments especially small arms and
light weapons. We are further concerned about the consequent
devastating impact of such conflicts on the peace, safety
and security of people in affected countries and the
systematic and gross human rights violations that have
been perpetrated in such conflicts;
Recalling the United Nations General Assembly Resolution
55/56 (2000), which calls on the international community
to give urgent and careful consideration to devising
effective and pragmatic measures to address this problem,
and Resolution 56/263 (2002), which welcomed the detailed
proposals for an international certification scheme
for rough diamonds developed in the Kimberley Process
and urged its finalisation and subsequent implementation
as soon as possible;
Expressing satisfaction with the proposals for an international
certification scheme for rough diamonds developed by
the Participants in the Kimberley Process and presented
to us in the form of a Document entitled: "Kimberley
Process Certification Scheme";
Emphasising that the widest possible participation
in the Certification Scheme is essential and should
be encouraged and facilitated. To that end, we invite
all those involved in the trade in rough diamonds to
join the Process without delay and if possible before
1 January 2003;
Welcoming the voluntary system of industry self-regulation,
which will provide for a system of warranties underpinned
through verification by independent auditors of individual
companies and supported by internal penalties set by
industry. This will help facilitate the full traceability
of rough diamond transactions by relevant government
authorities and the effective implementation of the
Kimberley Process Certification Scheme;
Noting with appreciation the important contribution
made by industry and civil society to the development
of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme;
Recognising that despite the important progress made
within the context of the Kimberley Process to address
the problem of conflict diamonds, the effective implementation
by Participants of the Certification Scheme over the
medium to longer term is of utmost importance for the
success of the initiative;
Thanking the Government of Switzerland for hosting
this Ministerial meeting, as well as the governments
of South Africa, Namibia, Belgium, the Russian Federation,
the United Kingdom, Angola, Botswana and Canada for
hosting meetings of the Kimberley Process, in the lead-up
to this meeting;
DECLARE THAT:
We adopt the international certification scheme for
rough diamonds developed by the Participants in the
Kimberley Process and presented to us in the form of
the document entitled: "Kimberley Process Certification
Scheme".
We remain committed to the simultaneous launch of the
Certification Scheme beginning on 1 January 2003. Implementation
will be based on our respective laws and internal systems
of control meeting the standards established in the
Document. For applicants that decide to join after this
date, the Scheme takes effect for them following notification
to the Chair pursuant to Section VI, paragraph 9.
We will ensure that the measures taken to implement
the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme for rough
diamonds will be consistent with international trade
rules.
We note with appreciation the clear intention of Cyprus,
the Czech Republic, Japan, Malta, Thailand and Ukraine
to become participants of the Certification Scheme by
the end of 2003.
We reaffirm our determination to monitor effectively
the trade in rough diamonds in order to detect and to
prevent trade in conflict diamonds. We consider the
Kimberley Process Certification Scheme as an ongoing
international process.
We thank the Government of South Africa for agreeing
to Chair the Kimberley Process in the first year of
its implementation.
We request our officials to review initial progress
in implementation at the first formal meeting of the
Participants of the Kimberley Process, to be held early
in 2003.
INTERLAKEN, SWITZERLAND, 5 November 2002
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Annex to the Interlaken Ministerial Declaration
Statement by the European Community
The Community reserves the right to return to the listing
of the European Community as participant to the Kimberley
Process in the first recital of the Interlaken Declaration,
if this is deemed necessary after the Council of the
European Union has taken a decision thereon. The reservation
does not in any way affect the political commitment
of the European Community to implement the Kimberley
Process Certification Scheme.
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