Naomi Campbell diverts attention from bigger issue

Venezuela was expelled in 2008 from the Kimberley Process for failing to certify its diamonds. Yet its ability to get its goods to market hasn’t been harmed.

Diamonds are now smuggled through Guyana and Brazil and falsely certified as coming from conflict-free zones, effectively showing that countries can do away with the checks and balances and still prosper.

It’s clear reform is vital. If the KP cannot respond with appropriate measures to stop diamonds from blood-soaked mines or non-participant countries from entering the market then what is it good for?

Global Witness has repeatedly issued recommendations to strengthen the regulator by improving its ability to detect non-compliance and ensure all parties meet their obligations.

In its Diamonds in the Rough report, Human Rights Watch called for the definition of a blood or conflict diamond to be broadened to include diamonds mined amid serious human rights abuses. It also wants KP members to develop effective responses to those who violate the scheme.

Sure, reform will won’t be easy. There will be resistance from those with a less than flattering human rights record. There will attempts to water down any binding resolutions or strict control measures.

But the actions of Zimbabwe and a failure of the certification process show doing nothing is not an option. While the KP might not hold public or media attention like a model in the witness box, there are vital questions that must be answered.

Do we want a diamond trade that effectively does nothing to penalise countries that commit atrocities against its people? Or do we actually care how diamonds are mined, where they come from and if they reach us at the expense of human life?