The Conflict Divide

By now we’ve accepted that the Kimberley Process plenary will be remembered more for what it failed to achieve than for anything it managed to do, despite the high hopes going into the Dubai meeting.

Chief among those hopes was the expansion of the conflict-diamond definition, which didn’t pass. My understanding is that the debate narrowed to two versions that differed on one key point, whether to include state actors funded by diamond sales for acts of aggression. In the current environment that would point directly at Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.

The plenary couldn’t reach consensus on either version. A group of western countries insisted on including nation states, while the broader membership, including the World Diamond Council, backed the version that excludes state actors. Canada’s statement after the plenary hints to that divide.

Bottom line is that the status quo holds. The original, narrow definition remains: “Rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance conflict aimed at undermining legitimate governments.

Somewhat overshadowed by the definitions debate, the KP is still without a chair for 2026. Ghana has stepped in as vice chair, which puts it in line to take the helm in 2027.

It seems there’s a lot of politics at play behind the scenes. Thailand initially agreed to take the role but pulled its nomination before the plenary. Qatar is understood to have put its hand up, only to be vetoed, and one or two other names also failed to gain the necessary backing.

The UAE cannot remain for a third consecutive year as the official chair but has reportedly offered to continue as a custodian chair. However, that too was vetoed in the latest round of talks by South Africa, who may be interested in the job.

The KP has until December 31 to find a new chair or agree to let the UAE continue as custodian. What happens if it misses that deadline is unclear. At the very least, and given the failure to modernize the conflict-diamond definition, it reopens the debate about the KP’s effectiveness, despite the progress made in recent years to push back against that perception.

This blog first appeared in the December 8 Pressing Matters Executive Memo. Read the full memo here, Pressing Matters, featuring the following sections:

• In Focus: The Conflict Divide

• Deep Dive: Empty Chair

• The News That Matters

• Worth Watching: The Desert Rose

• Chart Check: Signet Jewelers Revenue by Segment

• The Week Ahead

World Diamond Council (WDC) delegation at the Kimberley Process Plenary meeting in Dubai. (WDC)