DIAMONDS FROM ZIMBABWE
March 2010
Respecting human rights in our operations and throughout our entire supply chain is at the heart of Cartier’s Corporate Responsibility Policy.
In particular, we have always made our unequivocal commitment to the eradication of conflict diamonds
clear – which we confirmed in writing to all of our suppliers in the immediate wake of the Declaration of Interlaken – instituting the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) and the associated System of Warranties (SoW), in 2002. [Read our Diamond Policy]
We reaffirmed this position by electing to become one of the founding members of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) in 2005, an organization that places the fight against conflict diamonds at the core of its member requirements. Verified compliance with the provisions of the KPCS and the SoW is a condition for obtaining RJC Certification.
In 2009, we became aware of several human rights violations, including forced labor, child labor, severe beatings and even murders, occurring in the diamond fields of Marange, in the eastern part of Zimbabwe.
As the quality grade of diamonds from the Marange region does not meet the requirements of Cartier’s sourcing policy, we are confident that Marange diamonds do not enter our supply chain.
Nevertheless, we took swift action because we believe that, given our exceptional position in the jewelry world, our responsibilities encompass more than our own supply chain and implicate a broader role that involves doing everything we possibly can to stop diamonds tainted with human rights abuse from entering the watch and jewelry supply chain.
This is why in November 2009, after the conclusion of the Kimberley Process plenary meeting in Namibia which addressed these issues, we wrote to all of our suppliers who deal in diamonds to request that they implement, within their own operations and sphere of influence, everything they can to prevent such diamonds from being used in the watch and jewelry supply chain. We also drew their attention to the need to adhere strictly to the restrictions voted by the Kimberley Process concerning diamonds from Marange (these restrictions do not apply to diamonds from other Zimbabwe sources).
Since its foundation, the Kimberley Process and its Certification Scheme have brought about tremendous progress. Cartier would like to urge all parties involved to ensure that they deal effectively with the Zimbabwean situation, and to further reinforce their ability to act swiftly in preventing any form of human rights violations occurring in connection with diamond extraction and trade.
