Expressing the sense of the Congress that the global diamond industry, as represented by the World Diamond Council, should provide transition development assistance to communities in Sierra Leone, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the illicit trade in conflict diamonds for arms fueled civil war, and for other purposes.

Bill: 108-hconres-239
Sponsor: Rep. Watson, Diane E. [D-CA-33]
Introduced: 2003-06-26 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: AIDS (Disease)
Africa (Sub-Saharan)
Agriculture and Food
Angola
Armed Forces and National Security
Building construction
Business and social problems
Charities
Child health
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Civil War
Clinics
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Counseling
Crime and Law Enforcement
Democratic Republic of Congo
Diamonds
Disabled
Economic development
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Elementary and secondary education
Entrepreneurs
Environmental Protection
Families
Finance and Financial Sector
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Foundations
Health
Health counseling
Health education
Human immunodeficiency viruses
Human rights
Import restrictions
Infrastructure
Infrastructure (Economics)
Jewelry trade
Labor and Employment
Loans
Medical tests
Nongovernmental organizations
Occupational retraining
Preventive medicine
Psychotherapy
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Rape
Refuse and refuse disposal
School buildings
Sewage treatment
Sex crimes
Sierra Leone
Slavery
Small business
Social Welfare
Terminal care
Trade associations
Trauma care
United Nations
Vocational and technical education
War crimes
War relief
Warranties
Water Resources Development
Water pollution control
Women
Women's education
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2003-06-26
text: 
Conflict Diamonds Resolution - Urges the global diamond industry, as represented by the World Diamond Council, to: (1) establish a fund that supports demobilization centers and rehabilitation training programs for excombatants in the civil wars in Sierra Leone, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly child soldiers, provides health care treatment, education, training, and other needs of women and girls victimized in those wars by rape, forced domestic servitude, and other gender-related abuses, helps strengthen governmental and nongovernmental health care infrastructure to support HIV/AIDS programs in such countries, supports economic development and civil society-building programs in those countries, and supports diamond training in the latest technologies to African workers; (2) establish a program through which humanitarian assistance from the diamond industry can be made available to the amputees of, and others permanently disabled by, the civil wars in such countries; (3) continue deliberations with the United Nations, governments, charitable organizations, and nongovernmental organizations in the Kimberly Process to develop a diamond certification system for rough diamonds to stem the trade in conflict diamonds; and (4) support the activities of all reconciliation processes (including the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Sierra Leone) that will play a critical role in healing the wounds of war and promoting a lasting peace in Sierra Leone, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
 
Urges the Secretary of State to assist the World Diamond Council in establishing and administering the fund, and to report to the appropriate congressional committees on progress made by the Council toward addressing the goals and objectives of this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-06-26
text: Referred to the House Committee on International Relations.
action_date: 2003-06-26
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2003-06-26
text: Introduced in House