Regular readers of this magazine will be familiar with the series of excellent articles written by Harry Levy on conflict diamonds and the Kimberley Process. I will try not to repeat anything Harry has already made clear in his articles, but I wanted to offer some personal thoughts on the Process and on its impact in the UK. First, on the Process itself. It is a unique structure that produced an unparalleled agreement. The idea of governments, industry and civil society negotiating an international agreement together as equal partners had not been tried before in a serious fashion. All three parties took some time getting used to the idea. Some of my fellow diplomats were at times rather indignant at being lambasted by straight-talking NGOs. And it was hardly a secret that the diamond industry and government officials were not natural bedfellows. But it did work and it produced the first global response to the increasing problem of the illicit exploitation of natural resources for illegal purposes. The Kimberley Process is being held up as an example that others might follow, both in form and in content.
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