Where does Côte d’Ivoire stand in the conflict diamond trade?

The United Nations has done its part to keep Côte d’Ivoire from exporting diamonds, and it appears that the country will be forbidden to do so in the near future due to its involvement in the conflict diamond trade. In early November 2009, the UN voted to prolong the ban on Côte d’Ivoire for an extra year. In addition to keeping other countries from importing diamonds from this country, the UN has instated a restriction of arms on Côte d’Ivoire, as well as limiting travel for parties thought to be involved in illegal diamond trade. As of today, the Côte d’Ivoire has been prohibited from the diamond trade for four years, and the limitations of arms and traveling have been in effect for five years now. It is unfortunate that Côte d’Ivoire is a country in conflict, but at least the UN is actively trying its best to regulate the control of diamond trading. As long as the rebels command north Côte d’Ivoire while the government commands the south, the country is bound to remain divided, with diamonds at the core of the conflict. Things have been relatively peaceful lately in the country lately thanks to the UN and French troops who have been trying to keep order. However, rumor has it that both the north and the south have been rearming, and diamonds are involved in the funding for ammunition. Though Côte d’Ivoire's diamond exportation has been under strict United Nations regulation, it appears that rough diamonds continue to be smuggled into nearby nations, so these conflict diamonds are still circulating in the global diamond market. The sanctions that the United Nations have used to try and regulate the conflict diamond trade in Côte d’Ivoire have not proven to be as effective as the world's diamond community had hoped. At this point, diamond jewelry consumers are concerned (and rightly so) about where the diamonds at their jewelers' are really coming from. There is no question that a more effective tracking system should be set up and the sooner the better. But at the moment, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme is having trouble coming up with a system that can thoroughly track each and every stage of diamond production, from diamond mining to diamond cutting and polishing, in every country in the world.

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