In a move that demonstrates the growing international determination to stop illegal trade in conflict diamonds, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted on Thursday a decision on the issue put forth by Israel, which is chairing the Kimberley Process until the end of 2010.

The Israeli proposal includes decisions on three points: First, significant cooperation with world customs organizations to improve enforcement in the global fight against conflict diamonds, a decision that serves as a base for future cooperation with the World Monetary Fund and Interpol on fighting conflict diamonds.

Second, the KP will establish a sub-working group to be headed by Israel that will be charged with finding solutions to problems that every year delay diamond shipments worth tens of millions of dollars.

Third, the Kimberley Process will establish an administrative framework designed to provide support to the serving KP chair and will serve as a KP spokesman's office.

The decision also contained a clause expressing the KP member nations' appreciation for Israel's important contributions as process chair, especially in light of the progress in fighting conflict diamonds from Zimbabwe.

KP Chairman Boaz Hirsch, who is also CEO of Israel's Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry, said that the KP was the biggest international process Israel had ever led and said it had been an honor for him to serve as KP chair from Israel.

"The goals we set when we started as chair have been fully achieved. Despite the fact that we haven't arrived at a consensus, we have worked to keep the process honest by stopping rough diamond exports from Zimbabwe," Hirsch said.

Israel's Ambassador to the UN Meiron Reuven called the decision "an impressive achievement for the State of Israel, which as everyone knows struggles every day in the complex circle of the UN. We have managed to get full support for the Israeli-led decision on conflict diamonds and get it approved."

The decision was signed by an unusually large number of countries, including the US, the European Union, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Japan, New Zealand, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which will chair the Kimberley Process in 2011.