The term conflict-free is particularly central to the origin of diamonds and is often used in this context. The diamonds may only come from a source where no civil wars or other violent conflicts are financed with the sale of the gemstones. Currently, there is also discussion about expanding the term to include human rights violations. Since 2002, there has also been the Kimberley Agreement, in which various states commit themselves to bringing only conflict-free diamonds to the market in order to prevent the trade with illegally mined diamonds from conflict or blood diamonds. The participating countries also commit to documenting the origin of the gemstones without gaps and using various standards and certificates of origin. Through the requirements and monitoring measures agreed in the course of the Kimberley Processes, visible improvements in the diamond trade have already been observed. States that do not comply with the necessary requirements are not allowed to export rough diamonds until further notice. The use of conflict-free diamonds is therefore particularly important to stop the illegal diamond trade and to prevent violent conflicts based on the revenues of the gemstones.
