September 16, 2004


(New York) -- Amnesty International in collaboration with Global Witness has launched a survey of US diamond retailers to determine whether their diamonds are certifiably conflict free. On Saturday, September 18, a National Day of Action on Conflict Diamonds, activists in 40 cities in 26 US states will question retailers on what they are doing to comply with a voluntary system of self-regulation aimed to stop the trade in conflict diamonds, with the survey results expected in October. The survey is also being conducted in Canada, France, Italy, Switzerland, the UK and Holland.

Bodies representing the diamond industry, including the diamond retail sector, have agreed to a system of self-regulation that aims to exclude conflict diamonds from the legitimate diamond trade. This system supports the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, an international certification system that requires participants to have control regimes to ensure that shipments of rough diamonds are conflict free.

"Diamond jewelry retailers such as jewelers, department stores, and big discount chains are the public face of the industry and have a special responsibility to provide customers with guarantees that their diamonds are conflict free," said Mila Rosenthal, Director of Amnesty International USA's Business and Human Rights Program.

Major diamond retailers expected to be surveyed include Costco (NASDAQ: COST); Macy's (NYSE: FD); Bulgari; Sears, Roebuck & Co (NYSE: S); and Target (NYSE: TGT).

"In March this year our research revealed that some major players in the US diamond jewelry retail sector, which accounts for over half of global diamond jewelry retail sales, are not adequately carrying out basic measures of the self-regulation," added Corinna Gilfillan of Global Witness.

Amnesty International USA's Business and Human Rights Program works to protect and promote human rights by holding economic actors, especially US-based multinational corporations, accountable for their conduct.

In addition to conflict diamonds, other areas of Amnesty International USA's Business and Human Rights Program focus include the role of private contractors within US prisons overseas, such as Abu Ghraib, and the defense and strengthening of international legal mechanisms that promote corporate responsibility and ensure legal accountability for human rights abuses.
For further information contact:

Amy O'Meara, Amnesty International USA, 212 633 4288
Alex Yearsley, Global Witness, +44 207 561 6388

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