Procurement Professional is the official publication of CIPS Australasia

Diamonds not always procurement's best friend

19 Aug 2010

Source: Procurement Leaders

 
The ‘blood diamonds’ case which recently featured the testimony of international catwalk model, Naomi Campbell has again raised the issue of ethical sourcing from a continent still ravaged by civil war and uncertainty. Campbell's evidence to the special court for Sierra Leone in The Hague made front page news around the world, with her cross-examination over an alleged gift of 'blood diamonds' from former Liberian leader Charles Taylor back in 1997, providing dramatic and compelling testimony.

Along with drawing worldwide attention to the trial itself, Campbell’s appearance has once more made the subject of supply chain risk fashionable at at a time when the focus of the world has been trained steadfastly on the parlous state of the global economy.

Of course, the problem of ethical sourcing stretches well beyond the boundaries of a jewellery industry already facing its toughest economic challenge in a generation, but the high profile nature of the current case means it's at the forefront of the media's attention - and a major meeting to be held next month will ensure it stays there.
The First International Conference on Ethical Certification will bring together some of the biggest names in the extraction industry, and will aim to improve both the reputation of the industry itself and the lives of those who work within it.

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