Up to today brutal human rights abuses, including killings, torture and sexual violence, continue to
occur in certain diamond mining areas on the African continent and beyond, affecting both artisanal
and industrial production. Moreover, some corporate miners are alleged to be harming local community
livelihoods as a result of unmitigated environmental damage coming from their operations, including
water, air and noise pollution. Meanwhile, other actors are alleged to be undermining the development
potential of diamonds for those countries that rightly stand to benefit from them.