Diamonds & Development

• An estimated 10 million people globally are directly or indirectly supported by the diamond industry.
• It is estimated that 1 to 1.5 million people work in the informal (artisanal) alluvial diamond digging sector.
• An estimated 65% of the world's diamonds come from African countries.
• Diamonds are important drivers of development in several African countries. They account for 33% of the GDP (approximately $3.3 billion) of Botswana and 40% of Namibia's annual export earnings.
• Nelson Mandela said: "The diamond industry is vital to the Southern African economy. Rather than boycotts being instituted, it is preferable that through our own initiative the industry takes a progressive stance on human rights issues.
• However, despite its size and importance, the informal diamond mining sector is characterized by deep poverty and other social ill. Therefore, diamonds too often hamper instead of fuel development. Many political, social, and economic still have to be solved in order to optimise the beneficial development impact of artisanal diamond mining to miners and their communities within the countries in which the diamonds are mined.

Link

For more information visit the Diamond Development Initiative .