United Nations General Assembly

Blood diamond, also known as conflict diamond, is defined by the United Nations (UN), as “any diamond that is mined in areas controlled by forces opposed to the legitimate, internationally recognized government of a country and that is sold to fund military action against that government”(Britannica). In just the past two decades, seven African countries have suffered from cruel conflicts that were driven by diamonds. These countries include: Sierra Leone, Liberia, Angola, the Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Diamonds are an issue because they help escalate civil wars by financing the rebel militias as well as militaries. It now forms part of an illicit economy driving sectarian conflict in one of Africa's most unstable countries. This only ends with the death of many people and alarming human rights abuses such as utilisation of child soldiers and rape.

The goal of the General Assembly will be to discuss the issues surrounding the illicit trade of diamonds in Africa and how it has been fuelling various conflicts in that region.