Guia de Estudos - Faap

erra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
that conflict diamonds are originated. According to The
United Nations (UN) conflict diamonds are defined as
64
(...) diamonds that originate from areas controlled by
forces or factions opposed to legitimate and internationally
recognized governments, and are used to fund military action
in opposition to those governments, or in contravention
of the decisions of the Security Council.
There is a speech made by Ambassador J.D. Bindenagel
– Former U.S Special Negotiator for Conflict
Diamonds that well illustrates this theme, it says that
diamonds are classified as an one of a kind resource,
producing a strong feeling of eternal love and beauty.
In the recent past, after rebel groups located in Africa
started to use diamonds as a means of financing their
ineffable inhumanity versus the civilian populations
and wars many pictures of injured children have menace
to oppress these traditionally positive images. The
international community, due to these conflicts, was
mobilized to assure the individuals that live in countries
plentiful of diamonds are able to get deposits with their
patrimony’s benefits.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, areas rich
in diamonds have endured unmeasured devastation
on account of their wealth. The term “conflict diamond”
only appeared recently on public’s consciousness, as the
funds used to conduct deadly civil wars in Africa were
traced back to diamonds. This issue only captured the
world’s eyes during the brutal conflict in Sierra Leone
in the late 1990s. According to the organization World
Diamond Council, during this time, it is estimated that
conflict diamonds represented approximately 4% of
the world’s diamond production. Illicit rough diamonds
have also been used by rebels to fund conflicts in Angola,
Liberia, Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic
of Congo. However, the conflict diamond trade has
left permanent scars to people and nations around the
world, fueling bloody civil wars, human rights abuses
and child labor. In addition to that, it has been quite impossible
to verify the origin of diamonds and the conditions
they are produced.
One of the main issues to be tackled is the issue of
rebel groups, who uses these diamonds as financing
towards illicit operations in contravention of the international
community’s objectives of restoring peace in
the continent. These groups are accused to have com-
VII Fórum FAAP de Discussão Estudantil - 2011
mitted numerous atrocities, including kidnappings,
murders, rapes and amputations in order to control
diamond trade. As an example, based on UN reports,
Al-Qaeda regularly used diamonds to buy weapons
and traded opium and heroin for gold. These precious
stone has been used also to make money and to hide
the group finances.
It is also known that the global diamond industry is
dedicated to eradicating trade in conflict diamonds, it
works closely with the UN, governments and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) such as Global Witness
and Partnership Africa Canada, to create the Kimberley
Process Certification System. This system was formally
adopted in 2003 and verses against conflict diamonds
entering the legitimate diamond supply chain. The
diamond industry also adopted a voluntary System of
Warranties to assure consumers that their diamonds are
from sources free of conflict. Nowadays, 74 governments
have adopted their national law based to the Kimberley
Process, and now more than 99% of the world’s diamonds
are from conflict free sources. Although the fact
remains the same, in other words, conflict diamonds still
exists; because the problem is not the diamonds themselves
but the rebels who exploit these diamonds in order
to achieve illicit goals.
At this point, it is important that non-governmental
and inter-governmental organizations and Governments,
arms manufacturers, financial institutions, diamond
traders, social and education institutions and other
civil society players combine their efforts, demanding
a strict enforcement of sanctions and encourage real
peace, as well as UN support.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The UN has not yet come to find a definition for the
term “terrorism” as no consensus on such a definition
has been agreed on by the Member States. The Security
Council is against all acts of terrorism, even those that
are considered non-criminal, therefore, it tries to anticipate
all attacks, considers illegal every form of terrorism
and is willing to condemn all its forms of manifestation.
Almost every week there are news on terrorist attacks,
innocent lives are taken and places are destroyed.
The world has great interest in ceasing this situation
and abolishing this constant threat to humanity. People