IDC 2007

INTERNATIONAL DIAMOND CONFERENCE 2007
 
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2007 Conference Topic & Agenda



Conference Topic


Social Responsibility:
  • Africa and the Diamond Industry: What’s really going on and what can we do about it?
    Do we really know where our diamonds come from?

  • NGO’s: Friends or Foes? What do they want? Are they right?
    Can public advocacy help the people of Africa?

  • Dealing with the ethical consumer: Does she really exist? How and what to sell her?
    Is Fair Trade jewelry a viable option?

Agenda:

The four questions on the agenda are designed to encourage consensus on a number of important issues. We do not seek to limit discussion. Delegates and participants are encouraged to raise additional issues as appropriate.

The Diamond Industry & Artisanal Diamonds:

The Four Questions

  1. Should the diamond industry and consumers buy artisanal diamonds?
    1. Issues: child labor, unsafe working conditions, environmental damage, smuggling, money laundering, corruption, reputational risk
    2. Is a Kimberley Process (KP) certificate sufficient basis for the purchase of artisanal diamonds? What are the limits of the KP?
    3. How bad does the situation have to get in a country before the diamond industry stops buying its diamonds?
    4. Who draws the line? Who sets the ethical standards? Who enforces or monitors those standards?
    5. Does the diamond industry need artisanal diamonds?
    6. What happens to the one million African diggers and their dependents (about another five million people) if the diamond industry stops buying artisanal diamonds?

  2. What role should consumers and retailers play in helping artisanal diggers?
    1. What can consumers or jewelers do to help artisanal diggers?
    2. How do consumer advocacy programs help artisanal diggers?
    3. Is there a danger that consumers and jewelers will boycott artisanal diamonds as a result of advocacy programs?
    4. Can the diamond trade deal with artisanal issues without NGO consumer advocacy campaigns? Where does advocacy end and development begin?
    5. Is it ethical to market Canadian or synthetic diamonds by “educating consumers” about the problems of artisanal diamonds? Is there an inherent conflict of interest when revenue is based on “education”?
    6. Is charity a solution?

  3. How can the diamond industry, governments and NGO’s work together to help artisanal diggers?
    1. Monitoring and auditing of artisanal sources to ensure fair conditions
    2. Cooperation with governments in source countries
    3. Establishment of Best Practice Principles for artisanal diamond activities
    4. Role of private sector
      1. Job creation through sustainable economic activity
      2. Level playing field issues
    5. Infrastructure development
    6. Charity
    7. Coordination between industry, governments and NGOs.

  4. Can Fair Trade diamonds and jewelry programs help artisanal diggers?
    1. Possible definition of fair trade artisanal diamonds
      1. Fair compensation to diggers
        1. 30% of fair market value of diamonds
        2. fair market value of diamonds establish by public tender
      2. Donation to the community from where the diamonds originate
        1. 5% donation above the fair market price of the diamonds
      3. Do No Harm
        1. No child labor, unsafe working conditions, environmental damage.
      4. Monitoring
        1. Clear standards enforced through monitoring
    2. What are fair wages? Are diggers being exploited? How and by whom?
    3. Are fair trade diamonds/jewelry economically viable? At what scale?
    4. Who is responsible for implementing fair trade standards and products?
    5. Is it viable for the private sector to replace ineffective government regulators by controlling activity through purchasing power?
    6. What will happen to diggers whose diamonds are not fair trade?
MONDAY
FEBRUARY 5
2007

NEW YORK HILTON
1335 Avenue of the
Americas, New York,
NY 10019

Trianon Ballroom
Third floor
CONTACT US conference@diamonds.net Tel. +1 (877) 987-3400
  Rapaport International Diamond Conference 2007 | Diamonds.Net