1. Understand the issue: There are a variety of good resources available to get informed about the impact of conflict minerals, including an upcomingWebinar by Source 44 and a slightly older, but excellent video by the Enough Project (full disclosure, Green Impact is helping to produce the Webinar).
2. Build on the EICC/GeSI Protocol: Don’t reinvent the wheel–build your response upon the successes of the Electronics Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) and Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) reporting template, even if you are in a different industry.
3. Go deep into your supply chain: Successfully understanding what is lurking in your supply chain will require more than sending out a spreadsheet to your Tier 1 suppliers.
4. Get ahead of the regulatory curve: There is no need to wait until the regulations are promulgated to begin navigating your supply chain. While the final details of implementation are unclear, the intention of the Dodd-Frank act is clear – if you have conflict minerals in your supply chain, be prepared to disclose your due diligence strategy.

(Read full article.)

The move, the latest in a series of initiatives to try and cut the link between minerals and conflict, will be rolled out over the next three months, Mines Minister Martin Kabwelulu said on Tuesday.

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Kabwelulu said Congo’s mines will be mapped and certified on a regular basis and that exporters of the four minerals, which are widely used in the electronics industry, will then have secure documents showing their shipments are clean.

(Full article.)

18 January 2012

KEMET Corporation is implementing a plan for sourcing conflict-free tantalum from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), committing itself sourcing its tantalum only from conflict-free smelter (CFS) certified suppliers.

By Kari Williamson

Tantalum ore is now sourced directly from the conflict free Katanga Province of the DRC and delivered it to CFS certified smelters for processing in a closed-pipe system.

The closed-pipe system for the sourcing and transit of tantalum ore is being managed consistent with both the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) due diligence guidance for responsible supply chains of conflict minerals as well as the current understanding of the yet to be promulgated Dodd-Frank 1502 legislation relating to the same issue.

(Read full story.)

The hi-tech laboratory uses geochemical fingerprinting to isolate traders of these minerals and their sources.

The International Conference on the Great Lakes (ICGLR) region based in Bujumbura, is leading this initiative, and is set to receive $7 million from Germany to set up the first phase of the facility.
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The proposed site for the laboratory is the Southern and Eastern African Mineral Centre (SEAMIC), a leading minerals services provider in the region, based in Dar es Salaam. Minerals will be certified by ICGLR under the protocol on illegal exploitation of natural resources for the 11 member states, including all East African Community countries.
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According to the Hannover based company, the fingerprinting technique involves a combination of mineralogy, chemical analysis of the composition of both the concentrates and the individual grains, along with establishing the age of the core.

(Read full news item.)

All mineral exports from the region will have to be certified that they are not from conflict zones, especially from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), before they are put on the international market.

Rwanda is one of the countries which are spearheading the process, a senior ICGLR official has said.

Local mining companies that comply with internationally accepted standards are to be graded and issued with a certificate of compliance by the end of this year in an effort to improve the performance of the sector.

This follows the launch of a pilot project on mineral certification by the Rwanda Geology and Mines Authority (OGMIR).

According to Silas Sinyigaya, the ICGLR Programme Officer for Good Governance and Democracy, Rwanda will issue the certificates beginning next year to curb illicit trade in minerals.

“According to the data we have, Rwanda is ahead of all the other member states (10) with regard to preparing for this process,” he told The New Times on the sidelines of the 4th ICGLR Ordinary Summit taking place in Kampala, Uganda.

The official said that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will issue its certificates in the first quarter of 2012, while Uganda’s certificates will be ready by 2013.

(Read full article.)

AVX cites itself as among the industry’s first manufacturers to guarantee that all of its tantalum powder and wire come from conflict-free compliant smelters, in accordance with the principles of the Dodd-Frank legislation and current Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines. OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas provides management recommendations to help companies respect human rights and avoid contributing to conflict through their mineral or metal purchasing decisions and practices.

(See full story.)

But since some of the thousands of products Kraft sells (such as coffee and biscuits) are packaged in tin, the company will need to sift through its supply chain to trace whether minerals used in its final products came from the Democratic Republic of Congo or nearby regions and whether its purchases indirectly funded the ongoing violence there. As written, the SEC rule — which the regulator has yet to finalize — will require all public companies whose products contain “conflict minerals” such as tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold to comply, no matter how much (or how little) of these metals they use. These minerals are included in various everyday products, such as smart phones, laptops, hearing aids, and jewelry. (Read full article.)