Conflict Minerals
Embedded in the Dodd-Frank Act signed by President Obama is a truly historic regulatory provision — one targeted at eliminating funding for armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that have been perpetrating horrific violence. These groups finance themselves through trade in four main minerals: tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold. It is these minerals that form the basis of metals used in diverse technological products sold worldwide, including mobile telephones, laptop computers, and digital video recorders.
The illegal profits made from these minerals are just some of the consequences of the unregulated and unrelenting mining in this region. Other human rights abuses, including gender based violence such as sexual slavery, forced recruitment, forced prostitution and rape, have reached catastrophic proportions, with local health clinics in South Kivu reporting that, on average, 40 women are raped daily. In fact, sexual violence is an active weapon of war used by armed groups in the region. In investigating and reporting on the mass rapes of over 300 civilians in August 2010, the UN Joint Human Rights Office in the DRC emphasized the link between the violence and competition over the mineral resources in North Kivu province. According to a study by the International Rescue Committee released in January 2008, conflict and the humanitarian crisis in the DRC have resulted in the death of an estimated 5,400,000 people since 1998 and continue to cause as many as 45,000 deaths each month.
Analysis and Updates
ICAR Letter to California State Assembly on Introduction of CA SB 861
Dear Committee Member,
On behalf of the Enough Project and the International Corporate Accountability Roundtable (“ICAR”), a coalition of human rights groups including Amnesty International, Global Witness, Human Rights Watch, Human Rights First and EarthRights International, we offer our strong…
ICAR 1502 SEC Letter Calling for Issuance of Final Rules
Dear Chairman and Commissioners,
The International Corporate Accountability Roundtable (“ICAR”) is a coalition of leading human rights groups including Amnesty International, EarthRights International, Global Witness, Human Rights First, and Human Rights Watch. We, along with our partner the Enough Project,…
ICAR SEC Submission - Recent News and Opinion
Dear Chairman and Commissioners,
The International Corporate Accountability Roundtable (“ICAR”) is a coalition of leading human rights groups including Amnesty International, EarthRights International, Global Witness, Human Rights First, and Human Rights Watch. ICAR, along with our partner the Enough Project,…
California State Legislature Floor Alert
CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATURE FLOOR ALERT
SUPPORT: SB 861 (Corbett)
Dear Member of the California Legislature,
The Enough Project and the International Corporate Accountability Roundtable (“ICAR”), a coalition of human rights groups including Amnesty International, EarthRights International,…
Voices for Change from the Democratic Republic of Congo
“Voices for Change in the Democratic Republic of Congo”
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
U.S. Capitol Visitor Center
First Street and East Capitol Street, NE
Washington, DC
Remarks and video presentation
…
A Victory for California
The State of California State passed SB 861, making California the first state in the nation to pass legislation addressing the link between conflict minerals in consumer electronics products and ongoing violence in eastern Congo.
Help get this milestone the…
California Governor Brown signs conflict minerals legislation into law
Congratulations to California for being the first state to pass a conflict minerals bill!
California’s SB 861 was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown this past weekend, and activists and those concerned with human rights should be proud. Voices…
Why Wait? Conflict Minerals Due Diligence
By Mark Taylor
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) held consultations with industry and civil society last week on the conflict minerals provision (Section 1502) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. At a public…
ICAR and Global Witness Letter to the SEC - November 1st, 2011
Dear Chairman and Commissioners,
The International Corporate Accountability Roundtable (“ICAR”) and Global Witness submit this comment to address issues pertaining to the rulemaking for Section 1502 that were raised in the Roundtable, held on October 18th,…
ICAR Joint Letter to Chairman Schapiro Urging for Final Rule for Section 1502 (Conflict Minerals)
On December 22, 2011, ICAR along with a number of leading human rights organizations, submitted a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) comment file for Section 1502 - the conflict minerals provision - of the Dodd-Frank Act.
The…