What Is A Conflict Diamond?
A diamond is a conflict diamond if its profit is used to fund war, or it is mined or produced under unethical conditions.
Civil or Foreign War
A conflict diamond is any diamond that originates from a country where the profits from the diamond industry are funding arms trade or military organizations. During these wars, armed combatants often fight for control of the diamond mines because of their profitability. The fighting is rarely restricted to armed personnel and civilians are often killed during the campaign. The wars in Angola, Sierra Leone, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are the most notable examples. The wars are not always internal; Liberia has used the profits from diamonds to fund conflicts in other countries.
While international organizations have attempted to stop the illegal trade from war-ravaged countries, diamonds are easily transported over national borders and sold into the global diamond market. When local merchants in a warring country can no longer sell diamonds through legally established supply channels, the merchants simply smuggle the diamonds across the border and sell them in a neighboring country. The legal supply channels are no clearer: Ineffective international trade legislation requires the diamondÕs last country of export be declared, but not the diamond's country of origin.
Global Witness, in their May 2000 report writes: "The expansion of world trade has meant that governments have looked at ways to reduce so called technical barriers so that goods can move across borders without delay or added costs - this has often been to the detriment of social, economic, and environmental considerations."
Unfair Labor Practices
Conflict diamonds are less commonly known for their production under unfair labor practices. People are often exploited and subjected to unethical practices, which include: Utilization of child labor, failure to provide proper safety equipment, and refusal to pay fair wages. While unfair labor practices are common in war torn countries, they also exist in non-warring countries that are allowed to legally sell diamonds on the global market.