Johannesburg – Last year at this time, the stage was set for a climatic meeting in Washington, with the Kimberley Process voting on an issue that had been debated and discussed all year: broadening the definition of “conflict” diamond.
The vote, which would have expanded the definition in include rough diamonds tied to human rights abuses not just stones connected specifically to rebels working to overthrow legitimate governments, ultimately failed and the chairmanship of the process passed from the United States to South Africa.
A year later, it is plenary time again. The meeting opened Tuesday in the South African capital of Johannesburg.
