Across the globe the trade in diamonds and coloured stones is associated with conflict and human rights abuse. Concerns about these issues in countries such as Afghanistan and Zimbabwe demonstrate that existing responsible sourcing initiatives are failing to fully address the problems.
There is an urgent need for consensus around a more comprehensive and effective approach to ensuring that companies involved in precious stones supply chains are not causing harm through their operations.
This paper, prepared by Global Witness for a meeting of governments, industry members and civil society concerned with these issues, outlines the case for applying risk-based human rights due diligence to precious stones supply chains. It also calls on concerned parties to back the delivery of a global consensus on this imperative.