11. India’s Chairmanship of the Kimberley Process (2026): Refining Global Diamond Governance

India has officially assumed the Chair of the Kimberley Process (KP) for the year 2026, succeeding the United Arab Emirates. As a founding member and the world’s pre-eminent hub for diamond cutting and polishing, India’s leadership comes at a critical juncture marked by geopolitical shifts and mounting pressure for structural reforms within the global diamond trade.• Strategic Leadership of the Global South: This is India’s third time leading the KP. By assuming the chair, India positions itself as a bridge between major producer nations (mostly in Africa) and consumer markets (USA, EU, China), aiming to make the process more inclusive and rulebased. • Focus on \'Traceability\' and Tech: India’s 2026 agenda prioritizes the transition from paper-based to digital, blockchain-enabled KP certificates. This is expected to curb \'mixed origin\' certificate fraud and enhance the transparency of the supply chain from mine to market. • The \'Conflict Diamond\' Definition Debate: A core challenge for India is the long-standing demand by civil society and some member states to expand the definition of \'conflict diamonds\' beyond \'rebel-financed\' stones to include systemic state-linked human rights abuses and environmental harm. • Safeguarding Surat and Mumbai: As India processes over 90% of the world\'s diamonds by volume, ensuring the integrity of the KPCS (Kimberley Process Certification Scheme) is vital for the survival of the domestic industry, which faces competition from lab-grown diamonds and G7-led sanctions on Russian stones. • Capacity Building in Africa: India plans to establish Regional Technical Hubs in key African producing areas to provide forensic and IT support, ensuring that small-scale and artisanal miners are not marginalized by tightening global compliance standards. • Tripartite Collaboration: India will work to revitalize the unique KP structure, which brings together governments, the diamond industry (World Diamond Council), and civil society, to break the \'consensus-linked inertia\' that has hindered reforms for over a decade. Key Definitions • Conflict Diamonds (Blood Diamonds): Currently defined by the UN as rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance conflict aimed at undermining legitimate governments. • KPCS (Kimberley Process Certification Scheme): An international certification system that imposes extensive requirements on its members to enable them to certify shipments of rough diamonds as ‘conflict-free’. • Tripartite Setup: The unique governance model of the KP comprising representatives from Governments, the Diamond Industry, and Civil Society Organizations. Constitutional & Legal Provisions • Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992: The primary legal tool in India used to regulate the import and export of diamonds in compliance with international KP norms. • Customs Act, 1962: Empowers Indian customs authorities to seize any diamond shipments that lack a valid, tamper-proof KP certificate. • Article 253: Grants the Indian Parliament the power to implement international treaties; the KPCS is implemented in India through executive notifications by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. Key Statistics & Global Share

UPSC Relevance • GS Paper II: Bilateral, regional, and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests; Effect of policies of developed and developing countries on India’s interests. • GS Paper III: Economics (Industrial policy, Gems and Jewellery sector); Internal Security (Financing of insurgencies via illicit trade). • Mains Analysis: Balancing \'Strategic Autonomy\' in trade with global human rights expectations and the challenge of consensus-based multilateralism. Conclusion India’s 2026 Chairmanship is an opportunity to move the Kimberley Process from a \'reactive\' mechanism to a \'proactive\' governance model. By leveraging its technological prowess and diplomatic status as a leader of the Global South, India can ensure that diamonds remain a source of development rather than destruction, while protecting the livelihoods of millions in its own domestic cutting and polishing sector.