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Can different attempts by the international community to improve the human rights (HR) conduct of transnational corporations (TNCs) be characterised as international institutional bypasses (IIBs) of the global HR system? That HR system produced the highly controversial Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights (Norms), and the United Nations (UN) Commission on HR lacked the institutional legitimacy to lead such radical reform. With the HR system deadlocked by controversy, pressure to address the negative HR dimensions of globalisation mounted and bypasses emerged for norm experimentation outside the system: the Kimberley Process for Conflict Diamonds (Kimberley Process), the UN Global Compact (UNGC), and the Guiding Principles on Business and HR (Guiding Principles). After UN reform, and after the bypasses had thoroughly explored non-legal means of addressing HR and business, the subject matter returned to the HR system and the HR Council. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural resources in Africa have increasingly become a cause for concern. Not only do natural resources and the extractive industry need to be wary of conflicts which arise from their production processes, but the need for regulation becomes crucial. As one of the biggest producers of copper in the world, Zambia announced its decision to suspend the renewal of copper mining licences, and so the need for regulation of the industry became more important. Consequently, there is a need to examine the immediate effect of copper mining. Ultimately, the need to examine the possibility of regulating the copper industry which may have lessons in other extractive industries is proactively equally important. Thus, this article discusses the Zambian Copperbelt, copper mining in and its impact for Zambia as a case study to illustrate the need for an international regulatory framework. Finally, the article examines best practices which have been utilised in the diamond industry in the hopes of using these best practices in the copper mining industry. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

International norms around natural resource governance have proliferated in the face of civil wars and feeble state institutions in Africa. These norms have been captured in institutions such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), and the African Mining Vision (AMV). But have these institutions reversed the purported resource curse? This article seeks answers to this key question by challenging the assumptions around the prevailing international regimes of restraint which have privileged transparency and accountability at the expense of participation. Through an analysis of the experiences of these institutions, I suggest that there should be more focus on alternative regimes of responsibility in which natural resource-rich countries combine the process of building institutions of participation with those of transparency and accountability. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study addresses compliance and business practices at the local level subsequent to the international adoption of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme by states and the adoption of the voluntary System of Warranties by the diamond industry. This paper also explores the distance between norm creation, norm sustainability and norm expansion. Interests of various stakeholders led to the creation of international norms, and evidence supports widespread compliance at the state level. Data gathered at the local level of retailer suggests, however, that the regulatory system is not leading to the education of consumers that potentially transforms beliefs. Central to understanding the challenge of deepening and broadening new global norms is exploring the distance between compliance within the regulatory regime and the awareness or change of beliefs of stakeholders. Recommendations include steps to make the process of bringing diamonds to market transparent and available to public scrutiny. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

One of the central challenges for scholars of global governance is that the published charters, guidelines, rules, and final documents of global governance frameworks provide an incomplete understanding of how decisions are actually made within such international forums. Much of what is considered global governance occurs behind closed doors during teleconferences, official meetings, and informal side-meetings. This challenge is magnified in global governance frameworks that are driven by consensus-based decision-making. This article tackles this challenge by providing insights into the consensus-based decision-making processes of the Kimberley Process on conflict diamonds. In so doing, the article advances the debates on global governance in two ways. First, it draws upon participant observations, interviews with state and non-state actors, and privileged access to key documents in order to illustrate and assess how governance ‘crises’ concerning two Kimberley Process Participants – Republic of the Congo and Zimbabwe – are addressed by this global governance framework. Second, the article discusses future governance challenges for the Kimberley Process as well as highlights the promise and limitations of consensus-based decision-making within global governance frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global governance frameworks are innovative initiatives that respond to international norms and incorporate state and non-state actors in efforts to address particular governance challenges. The Kimberley Process is an important global governance framework that has evolved in concert with the anti-conflict diamond norm and seeks to prevent the trade of conflict diamonds. The article examines the evolution of this global governance framework and anti-conflict diamond norm and emphasises the role of two middle powers – South Africa and Canada – in the Kimberley Process. It also analyses the cases of Sierra Leone, Côte d'Ivoire, and Zimbabwe in order to illustrate the type of governance challenges faced by the Kimberley Process. The article concludes with a policy-relevant discussion of the promise and limitations of global governance frameworks as well as cooperative and collaborative behaviour among middle powers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The issue of conflict diamonds has received little attention since the early 2000s. However, the global checks put in place to restrict conflict diamonds entering the world market are increasingly hampered by both the lack of agreement on what constitutes a conflict diamond and the global diamond economy's shift towards Asia. This article explores the current state of conflict diamonds and the international landscape of ailing efforts aimed at reducing them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through a series of meetings and consultations over the past four years--known as the Kimberley Process--representatives from government, civil society and the diamond industry have devised a regulatory framework that aims to end the trade in conflict diamonds. This article assesses the accomplishments and challenges associated with the regulatory framework ranging from the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) on the production and export of diamonds to the 'chain of warranties' upheld by diamond wholesalers and retailers. By tracing the evolution of conflict diamonds as a pressing human security concern in international politics, we demonstrate that the ongoing Kimberley Process represents an intriguing development in global governance and multi-track diplomacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article looks at the Kimberly Process Certificate (KPC), a document which collectors and jewelers need for the sale, export, and import of uncut diamonds. The authors explain how the certificate prevents the spread of conflict diamonds, how it is obtained, and the specifications it includes such as country of origin, exporter, and carat weight. Special attention is paid to a receipt called Warranty of Kimberley Process.