Venezuela ‘forced to withdraw’ KPCS membership

Venezuela has been “forced to withdraw” its membership from the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), following its “failure” to abide by the norms and curb trading in ‘blood/conflict diamonds’ – rough diamonds used by rebel movements to finance wars against legitimate governments. Currently, chaired by India, KPCS is a global initiative by governments, industry and civil society to certify that shipments of rough diamonds are free from ‘conflict diamonds’. Venezuela became a member of Kimberley Process in 2003, but their system worked as per the norms of the process only for a year. Venezuela also failed to submit statistical information since the first quarter of 2005 and its annual reports from that year onwards, according to ‘Other Facets’, a newsletter.