Conflict Minerals Bill- From Enough Project E-mail

An E-mail from Enough Project a few days ago, right when I got back from our trip to the Congo.  Believe me this is something I think about a lot, especially now that I work with people in the DRC.  A country that is making many people so wealthy is devastating a country that's people don't benefit from it's own natural resources.  And I don't think anyone is planning on giving up their cell phones for the plight of other unfortunately, but at least this bill is trying to ask for a little more accountability on how the minerals are taken and who is affected.  -Hannah

 

New Conflict Minerals Bill in the House

This morning Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) introduced the bipartisan Conflict Minerals Trade Act of 2009, a critical milestone in the effort to break the link between armed conflict, sexual violence, and the minerals trade in Congo. The bill, co-sponsored by Representatives Frank Wolf (R-VA) and Barney Frank (D-MA), demands greater transparency and accountability from companies whose products contain gold, tin, tungsten, or tantalum from Congo. The bill calls for a system of auditing mineral ores and their derivatives, ultimately requiring companies importing products containing these minerals declare if their products are "conflict free." Other important provisions in the legislation call for the U.S. government to develop a comprehensive strategy to address conflict minerals and to improve conditions and livelihoods for communities in eastern Congo dependent upon mining. Watch a video of the press conference announcing the bill, featuring statements from Representative McDermott, pictured at right, Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS), and Enough's Executive Director John Norris.

 

SPECIAL ALERT: NEW LEGISLATION TAKES ON CONGO'S CONFLICT MINERALS

 

Today, Representative Jim McDermott (D-WA) introduced legislation to ensure that when we purchase a cell phone or laptop here in the U.S., we are not financing perpetrators of crimes against humanity in Congo.  Co-sponsored by Representatives Frank Wolf (R-VA) and Barney Frank (D-MA),the Conflict Minerals Trade Act will help develop the means to ensure that the multimillion dollar trade in conflict minerals from eastern Congo stops financing the world's deadliest conflict since World War II.  Specifically, the bill will put in place a system of audits and regulations that would help stop companies from importing conflict minerals into the United States.

 

A coalition of international nonprofit organizations - including the Enough Project, Human Rights Watch, World Vision, Oxfam America, and Global Witness, among others – today released a joint statement of support for the Conflict Minerals Trade Act of 2009 in the U.S. House of Representatives.  The bill also received support from various stakeholders in the electronics industry, including the Information Technology Industry Council and HP. 

 

Legislation in the US alone will not end the conflict in eastern Congo, but this bill would provide a crucial step toward the creation of a practical and enforceable means to ensure that the trade in Congolese minerals contributes to peace rather than war. This bill would also serve as a useful precedent for other countries to develop legislation for holding to account companies in their jurisdiction who may be fuelling the conflict in eastern Congo.

 

What will this bill do?

This bill demands greater transparency and accountability from those companies whose products contain these mineral ores or their derivatives. The U.S. government would identify those commercial goods that could contain conflict minerals, approve a list of independent monitoring groups qualified to audit the worldwide processing facilities for these minerals, and eventually restrict the importation of minerals to those from audited facilities. Importers of these goods would have to certify on their customs declaration that their goods "contain conflict minerals" or are "conflict mineral free" based upon this audit system. The audits would determine the mines of origin for processed materials, verify the chain of custody and verify information provided by suppliers through investigations in the DRC and other countries.

 

Importantly, the bill would also direct the State Department to support multilateral and U.S. government efforts to break the link between the trade in minerals and armed conflict in eastern Congo.

 Click here to get more details about the bill. Watch the press conference.

HOW YOU CAN TAKE ACTION
Call or write your Representative and urge him/her to cosponsor the Conflict Minerals Trade Act. Visit our website to send an email now, or call by dialing the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and asking for your Representative's office.

 

 

--
Hannah Hanson
Mission Intern - SHADE
South Africa
hannahatshade.blogspot.com