2006年VOA标准英语-West African Diamond Trade Deals with Kimberley

By Kari Barber
Dakar
29 December 2006

The West African diamond industry was thrust into the limelight this year with the Hollywood movie "Blood Diamond." The film depicts¹ atrocities² committed during Sierra Leone's 10-year civil war. Some analysts³ say the West African diamond sector⁴ has come a long way since that time. Other activists⁵ say, for those living and working in diamond-mining areas, life has not improved much. Kari Barber reports from Dakar.

sifter6 to find a diamond stone (File)" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070514/1529430.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

Men look into their sifter to find a diamond stone (file)

In the 1990s illicit⁷ diamond trade was believed to have fueled civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone that left hundreds of thousands of people dead and the countries in ruin. Rebels and governments were accused of selling diamonds to buy arms.

In 2002, countries and non-governmental organizations involved in the diamond trade implemented⁸ what is called the Kimberley Process. It is designed to certify⁹ the origin of diamonds and prevent diamond money from financing wars.

Ian Smillie with Partnership¹⁰ Africa Canada, says - even with monitoring and regulations - smuggling¹¹ is difficult to prevent. Smillie says most borders in Africa are porous¹² and, even at official checkpoints like airports, people are not searched for diamonds.

"They are one of the most concentrated forms of wealth on Earth and they are very easy to hide," he said. "So if people want to steal a diamond or if they have some reason for smuggling them, they will. This is never going to stop. The Kimberley Process can catch 90 or 95 percent of it, but it is not going to catch everything."

Smillie says the protocol¹³ has been successful in drawing attention to the problem of conflict diamonds and forcing traders to go through legitimate¹⁴ channels to sell their diamonds.

Six years ago, before the Kimberley Process, Sierra Leone officially exported about a million dollars worth of diamonds. In 2005 diamond exports totaled $145 million.

Liberia is still waiting to reopen its diamond sector. The United Nations voted to maintain the sanctions, this month.

Smillie says, for the Kimberley Process to work, it is best to have Liberia out of the picture for now. He says sanctions may cause some small-time smuggling, but it is better than the country becoming a center for illicit diamonds, as in the past. During the 1990s, diamond exploitation and trade in regional conflict diamonds propped¹⁵ up the Charles Taylor war-time administration.

Smillie says the best way to weaken the market for illegal diamonds is to make the legal route more attractive.

"The best way to regulate it is not to police it," he said. "It is to make sure people get the very best prices in the country where the diamonds are mined. If you can move the buyers, bring some of those Antwerp buyers and others to Sierra Leone to buy the diamonds and regulate that. Make sure there are fair prices, make sure people know what the diamonds are worth and make sure that you manage the banking¹⁶ arrangements. Then you have a better chance of keeping a grip on the overall industry."

Abu Brima is coordinator¹⁷ at the Campaign for Just Mining. The Freetown-based group monitors Sierra Leone's mining sector. He says the Kimberley Process has enabled Sierra Leone's government to make improvements in areas such as mining registration¹⁸.

But Brima says that, although the increased coordination¹⁹ has brought more investment, it has meant little for the average person. He says environmental and labor²⁰ concerns fall outside the scope of the Kimberley Process.

"So it has not really made any significant difference in the lives of local community people, and the diggers, and the miners themselves and, therefore, the country," he said. "So there is a serious gap in terms of how the diamond sector has benefited anybody."

Brima says the areas around diamond mines are still among the poorest in Sierra Leone. The cost of living is often high and the poverty gap is immense.

Brima says he would like to see the industry put on hold for a few years to allow the sector to reorganize and the government to update its laws.

Corrine Dufka is a researcher at Human Rights Watch in Dakar. She says bad governance, not diamonds, is to blame for the civil wars in West Africa.

"Diamonds, themselves, or any natural resources that are exploited in this way, are not the cause of the wars that we have seen in West Africa," she said. "Speaking particularly about Sierra Leone, prior to the war in Sierra Leone there were several decades of bad governance, corruption²¹, nepotism²², inequitable distribution of wealth and absolute poverty; which were the factors that actually led to the war in Sierra Leone, not the diamonds themselves."

Although most of West Africa is falling in line with international regulations, illicit diamonds from the Ivory Coast are still finding their way into shipments, according to the United Nations.

The world body says Ivory Coast is the last country in the world still producing conflict diamonds. Official diamond shipments have been suspended by the government for nearly eight years. as rebels retain control of diamond-mining areas in the north. Despite 2005 U.N. sanctions, Ivory Coast diamonds have been leaking into Mali and Ghana. Ghana, a member of the Kimberley Process, is implementing²³ new inspection²⁴ procedures to ensure the diamonds coming out of Ghana are from Ghana and not from conflict zones.

1 depicts   

描绘，描画( depict的第三人称单数 )； 描述

参考例句：

• The book vividly depicts French society of the 1930s. 这本书生动地描绘了20 世纪30 年代的法国社会。
• He depicts the sordid and vulgar sides of life exclusively. 他只描写人生肮脏和庸俗的一面。

2 atrocities   

n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪

参考例句：

• They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities. 他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The enemy's atrocities made one boil with anger. 敌人的暴行令人发指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

4 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

5 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 sifter   

n.（用于筛撒粉状食物的）筛具，撒粉器；滤器；罗圈；罗

参考例句：

• She sifted thistles through her thistle-sifter. 她用蓟筛筛蓟。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This paper deals with a nitempering process of sifter mesh. 研究了一种筛片的软氮化工艺。 来自互联网

7 illicit   

adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He had an illicit association with Jane.他和简曾有过不正当关系。
• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year.今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。

8 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

9 certify   

vt.证明，证实；发证书(或执照)给

参考例句：

• I can certify to his good character.我可以证明他品德好。
• This swimming certificate is to certify that I can swim one hundred meters.这张游泳证是用以证明我可以游100米远。

10 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

11 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

12 porous   

adj.可渗透的，多孔的

参考例句：

• He added sand to the soil to make it more porous.他往土里掺沙子以提高渗水性能。
• The shell has to be slightly porous to enable oxygen to pass in.外壳不得不有些细小的孔以便能使氧气通过。

13 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

14 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

15 propped   

支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sat propped up in the bed by pillows. 他靠着枕头坐在床上。
• This fence should be propped up. 这栅栏该用东西支一支。

16 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

17 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

18 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

19 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

20 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

21 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

22 nepotism   

n.任人唯亲；裙带关系

参考例句：

• The congressman lashed the president for his nepotism.国会议员抨击总统搞裙带关系。
• Many will regard his appointment as the kind of nepotism British banking ought to avoid.很多人会把他的任命看作是英国银行业应该避免的一种裙带关系。

23 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

24 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。