How Trust Shapes Global Action Networks: Evidence from the Kimberley Process

Multi-stakeholder approaches in global governance are in vogue, yet little is known about how these different actors can sustain effective, collective work on an issue area. This paper presents empirical data from the Kimberley Process (KP), a global regulatory system aimed at curbing the trade in conflict diamonds to specify the role and processes of trust in Global Action Networks (GANs). We find that mutual trust amongst government, business and civil society actors was critical in the emergence of the KP and remains key in the effective implementation of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). Specifically, the KPs inaction on human rights violations in the Marange diamond fields of Zimbabwe has significantly reduced public trust in the GAN’s. We conclude our analysis with lessons from the Diamond Development Initiative (DDII), a GAN in its own right which has emerged in the quest to confront problems in the artisanal diamond industry.