“Conflict minerals” officially made it to the New York Times’ 2009 list of buzzwords released on December 19. Does this mean that they have gained the notoriety of “blood diamonds”? Not yet (at least not without Leonardo DiCaprio to shine some star power on the issue) … but the NYT acknowledgement does clearly suggest advocacy to raise the issue of conflict minerals has come a long way – “conflict minerals” have gone mainstream.
The DRC’s rich reserves of coltan, tin and other minerals — used primarily to manufacture electronic products such as cell-phones and computers — have been identified as the vital link that enables the country’s various armed groups to operate. Much like diamonds in Sierra Leone and Angola, the DRC’s minerals effectively fuel war in one of Africa’s most fabled lands.
Raising the profile of conflict minerals to a cell-phone toting global population has not been easy. For years, groups such as the Enough Project, Global Witness and makeITfair have campaigned to cut the cord that connects the Democratic Republic of Congo’s vast natural resources to global business and internal conflict.
They pushed the U.S. government to legislate increased transparency in the supply chains not just of electronic companies but of all publicly-listed firms that use DRC-sourced minerals; they pushed the electronics and tin industries to address this issue internally; and they shaped public campaigns that encourage consumers to patronize corporations working towards solutions to the problem.
2009 saw progress on all three fronts. U.S. legislators are now considering two legislative proposals – Senate Bill 821 (Congo Conflict Minerals Act of 2009) and House Bill 4128 (Conflict Minerals Trade Act of 2009) – aimed at encouraging disclosure of mineral sourcing. Electronics associations are examining the issue (and possible certification mechanisms) through the Electronic Industry Code of Conduct and the Global e-Sustainability Initiative. The tin industry in the U.K. has also implemented a tracing mechanism that, while imperfect, holds promise. 2009 also saw growth in discussion on online forums, while major media outlets, like 60 Minutes, highlighted the issue.
But problems remain. Tthe trade of DRC-sourced minerals is diffuse and involves numerous middlemen. Perpetual insecurity, continuing rights violations and disjointed efforts also stymie efforts to address the problems. Different stakeholders are doing different things, although there are burgeoning efforts to coordinate.
Sadly, little has changed since in the Congo River region since Joseph Conrad visited the land he eventually called the Heart of Darkness. “We were wanderers on a prehistoric earth, on an earth that wore the aspect of an unknown planet. We could have fancied ourselves the first of men taking possession of an accursed inheritance, to be subdued at the cost of profound anguish and of excessive toil,” Conrad wrote.
Today’s modern-day “wanderers” are taking responsibility, increasing the likelihood of positive change for a nation and whose riches its people have come to consider a curse.
Tags: armed groups, cellular phones, coltan, computers, conflict, conflict minerals, consumer electronics, democratic republic of congo, finance, gold, mining, rights abuses, tantalum, tin
