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Copyright of Canadian Journal of Development Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In 2007, Canada was the third-largest producer of diamonds in the world. Marketed as ethical alternatives to "blood diamonds," Canadian gemstones are said to go beyond basic "conflict-free" designations by providing northern Indigenous peoples with high-wage work and training. This article makes two connected points. First, it describes how the ethics of diamond mining are connected to the uneasy management of people groomed to do extractive work. Second, following the development and delivery of job training programs for Indigenous people over the course of the financial crisis of 2008-2009, this article reveals how mandatory "soft skills" courses attempt to adjust would-be worker speech to meet corporate norms in ways that were essential in maintaining the ethical sign value of subarctic stones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Review of African Political Economy is the property of Review of Political Economy (ROAPE) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article presents the history of the blood diamond trade in three African countries including Angola, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe. Topics discussed include civil wars in countries due to diamonds; the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) of the United Nation aimed to prevent "conflict diamonds" from entering the mainstream rough diamond markets; and implementation of the KPCS in Angola, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe.

The article discusses the applications of a small unmanned aircraft system (UAS) for mapping informal diamond mining sites in Africa. Topics covered include details of the Kimberley Process (KP), an international initiative that aims to prevent the flow of conflict diamonds, some steps involved in the formalization of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), and several limitations of satellite imagery like atmospheric constraints, temporal resolutions, and spatial resolutions.

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]

The article focuses on the primary objectives of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), created by a United Nations resolution to prevent the entry of conflict diamond into the mainstream rough diamond market and to prevent human rights violations in illegal diamond trade. It focuses on the human rights violations in the Marange diamond mines in Zimbabwe, and the applicability of the KPCS in this case.

The article discusses corrupt practices in the international diamond industry in relation to the 2003 international agreement Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). Topics include a Belgian tax evasion case against the diamond firm Omega Diamonds, the role of the Dubai Multi-Commodities Center (DMCC) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) in corruption, and efforts to separate diamond mining in Africa from the promotion of violent conflicts.

• This paper empirically examines the impacts of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme on international trade in rough diamonds. • The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme has worked as a catalyst, increasing trade in rough diamonds. • The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme does not affect low-income exporters differently. • The agreement's induced trade effects apply not only to exporter- or importer-hubs but equally to smaller trade partners. • The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme signed unilaterally reduces the trade in rough diamonds originating from belligerent countries. In 2003, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) went into force to stop the trade in those diamonds, directly linked to the fueling of armed conflict and activities of rebel movements, also known as conflict diamonds. This article gives empirical evidence on the impact of the KPCS on international trade in rough diamonds. We find that bilateral KPCS participation facilitates access to international markets for rough diamonds and increases trade values. The bilateral trade impact of the KPCS does not depend on the exporters' economic development or market access. A more detailed analysis of exporters' heterogeneity in trade values shows that unilaterally KPCS intensifies the trade impediments resulting from armed conflicts and, thereby, reduces the international trade in rough diamonds stemming from countries with ongoing internal conflicts. We further offer evidence that the KPCS-induced trade effects apply not only to exporter- or importer-hubs but equally to smaller trade partners. Our analysis gives insights into how agreements setting a particular standard may affect international trade patterns in conflict minerals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Oversight of the multi-billion dollar global diamond trade involves state actors, multinational corporations, and sophisticated civil society groups operating under the umbrella of the Kimberley Process. This unique tripartite governance structure created an opportunity for the parties to develop a system in which conflict diamonds could not enter the stream of commerce, transparency would be institutionalized, and governments and industry participants would be held to account. Yet, the successes of the Kimberley Process are increasingly jeopardized by an overly statist approach that has led to subjugation of the participating nongovernmental organizations. This note argues that for the Kimberley Process to regain its legitimacy, it must reform by recommitting to civil society's central role, increasing transparency within the diamond industry, and refusing to shield governments from enforcement of its rules. [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]

Research on conflict in resource-rich countries suggests that resource extraction companies contribute to tension but not development. In recent times, public-private partnerships (PPPs) have flourished, in which set up regulation is not against business but in joint cooperation with corporate actors. Yet PPPs are criticized for serving business self-interest and increasing business power rather than the common good. The paper takes the Kimberley Process and the diamond industry as an example to examine the multi-faceted nature of business power when this PPP was negotiated. The core of the argument is that realist-informed perspectives about business power in PPPs and constructivist accounts emphasizing socialization and social learning processes only tell one part of the story. While demonstrating that the diamond industry acted as a both a socializing and socialized agent, the analysis of the different facets of power shows that structural and discursive power were crucial elements in making socialization happen in the first place. [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.