The role of diamonds in fuelling conflict: breaking the link between the illicit transaction of rough diamonds and armed conflict as a contribution to prevention and settlement of conflicts A/RES/72/267 Welcoming the implementation of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme in such a way as not to impede the legitimate trade in diamonds or impose an undue burden on Governments or industry, particularly s maller producers, nor to hinder the development of the diamond industry, Welcoming also the decision of the 54 Kimberley Process Participants, representing 81 countries, including the 28 States members of the European Unio n represented by the European Commission, to address the problem of conflict diamonds by participating in the Kimberley Process and implementing the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, Welcoming further the demonstration by Gabon of its determination to become a Kimberley Process Participant and its having met the main requirements, Noting the decision of the General Council of the World Trade Organization of 11 December 2012 granting an extension until 31 December 2018 of a waiver with respect to the measures taken to implement the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, Recognizing that State sovereignty should be fully respected and that the principles of equality, mutual benefits and consensus should be adhered to, Recognizing also that the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, which came into effect on 1 January 2003, will be credible only if all Participants have the requisite national legislation coupled with effective and credible internal systems of control designed to eliminate the presence of conflict diamonds in the chain of producing, exporting and importing rough diamonds within their own territories and across their borders, while taking into account that differences in production methods and trading practices, as well as differences in the institutional controls t hereof, may require different approaches to meeting minimum standards, encouraging all Participants to exceed them and to work towards overall compliance with the Kimberley Process standards, Recalling its resolution 71/277 of 2 February 2017 and its previous resolutions 55/56 of 1 December 2000, 56/263 of 13 March 2002, 57/302 of 15 April 2003, 58/290 of 14 April 2004, 59/144 of 15 December 2004, 60/182 of 20 December 2005, 61/28 of 4 December 2006, 62/11 of 26 November 2007, 63/134 of 11 December 2008, 64/109 of 11 December 2009, 65/137 of 16 December 2010, 66/252 of 25 January 2012, 67/135 of 18 December 2012, 68/128 of 18 December 2013, 69/136 of 12 December 2014 and 70/252 of 22 January 2016, in which it called, inter alia, for the development and implementation as well as a periodic review of proposals for a simple, effective and pragmatic international certification scheme for rough diamonds, 1. Takes note of the outcomes of the fifteenth plenary meeting of the Kimberley Process, hosted in Brisbane by Australia from 10 to 1 4 December 2017; 2 2. Reaffirms its strong and continuing support for the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme 1 and the Kimberley Process as a whole; 3. Recognizes that the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme helps to ensure the effective implementation of relevant resolutions of the Security Council containing sanctions on the trade in conflict diamonds and contributes to the prevention of future conflicts fuelled by diamonds, and calls for the full implementation of existing Council measures targeting the illicit trade in rough diamonds, particularly conflict diamonds which play a role i n fuelling conflict; _______________ 2 18-03560 See A/72/775, annex. 3/4