A Closer Look at Conflict Minerals

Description

Contents Preface Chapter 1 A Progress Report on Conflict Minerals( Opening Statement of Hon. Jeff Flake, U.S. Senator from Arizona Statement of Hon. Cory Booker, U.S. Senator from New Jersey Statement of Hon. Todd Young, U.S. Senator from Indiana Statement of Hon. Christopher Coons, U.S. Senator from Delaware Statement of Rick Goss, Senior Vice President, Environment and Sustainability, Information Technology Industry Council, Washington, DC Written Testimony of Rick Goss, Senior Vice President of Environment and Sustainability, Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), Before the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy Introduction Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act Has Had Mixed Success in Cutting off Funding to Armed Groups in the DRC and Reducing Violence in the Region Section 1502 Has Generated Unintended Consequences That Have Detracted from the Provision’s Effectiveness Recommendations to Maintain Sourcing Transparency, Promote Peace and Security in Central Africa, and Improve Section 1502 Deficiencies Expand Existing Diplomatic Efforts to Drive Peace, Security, and Governance in Central Africa Intensify U.S. Diplomatic Efforts Provide Targeted Development Aid Maintain U.S. Leadership on Sourcing Transparency to Support Continued Progress in Central Africa and Avoid Unintended Outcomes Maintain U.S. Leadership Advance the OECD due Diligence Guidance Consider Removing the Requirements of Section 1502 That Have Increased Costs and Burdens While Failing to Promote Progress in the Region Remove the Provisions That Discourage Legitimate Businesses from Sourcing from the Region Move Any Requirements from Securities Law Conclusion Statement of Mvemba Dizolele, Lecturer, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, DC A Progress Report on Conflict Minerals, The United States Senate, Committee on Foreign Relations, Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, Testimony by Mvemba Phezo Dizolele , Professorial Lecturer, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced Internatio... What Are the Merits of This Law? Where Did the Law Fail? Unintended Consequences What Should Be Done? Statement of Arvind Ganesan, Director, Business and Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, Washington, Dc Testimony to the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on African Affairs and Global Health Policy Regarding Dodd-Frank Section 1502 Suspending 1502 Will Make It Easier to Fund Armed Groups Secretly Suspending or Eliminating Dodd-Frank 1502 Will Disadvantage Responsible US Companies Challenges with Dodd-Frank 1502 The Way Forward Conclusion Additional Material Submitted for the Record Prepared Statement of Senator Richard Durbin Congo Conflict/Rape Capital of the World Conflict Minerals Law Series of Letters Relating to Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act Submitted for the Record by Senator Cory Booker Conflict Minerals: Insights from Company Disclosures and Agency Actions( Why GAO Did This Study What GAO Recommends What GAO Found Background SEC Filings in 2015 Show Companies Were More Informed about Supply Chains but Continued to Face Challenges in Determining Conflict Mineral Origins Commerce Has Produced Lists of Conflict Minerals Processing Facilities but Lacks a Plan to Assess Audits of Conflict Minerals Filings Appendix I: Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Summary of the Conflict Minerals Disclosure Rule Chapter 2 Conflict Minerals: 2018 Company Reports on Mineral Sources Were Similar in Number and Content to Those Filed in the Prior 2 Years* Abbreviations Why GAO Did This Study What GAO Found Background History of Conflict in the DRC and the Region Uses of Conflict Minerals SEC Conflict Minerals Disclosure Rule Conflict Minerals Disclosures Filed in 2018 Were Similar in Number and Content to Those Filed in Prior Years Almost as Many Companies Filed Conflict Minerals Disclosures in 2018 as in Each of the Past 2 Years A Similar Percentage of Companies Conducted Country of Origin Inquiries as in the Past 2 Years; the Percentage of Companies Reporting a Determination Has Increased since 2014 Some Companies Filing in 2018 Reported Taking Actions to Improve Supply Chain Data, Though Many Continue to Report Difficulties in Determining Country of Origin Almost All Companies Required to Conduct Due Diligence Reported Conducting it in Their 2018 Filings Some Companies Noted That SEC Staff Guidance Regarding Due Diligence Reporting Requirements Had Caused Confusion, but Most Companies’ Filings Were Similar to Those Submitted in Each of the Prior 2 Years No New Information on Rates of Sexual Violence in Eastern DRC and Adjoining Countries Has Been Published; Case-File and Other Information on the DRC and Burundi is Available No New Surveys Have Been Published on the Rate of Sexual Violence New Case-File Information about Sexual Violence in the DRC and Burundi Is Available New Information on the DRC New Information on Burundi UN Reports Some Steps Taken to Address Sexual Violence in the DRC and None Taken in Burundi Agency Comments List of Committees Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology Appendix II: Summary of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Conflict Minerals Rule Disclosure Process Appendix III: Population- Based Surveys on Sexual Violence Rates Since 2007 Appendix IV: Comments from the U.S. Agency for International Development Appendix V: Accessible Data Data Tables Index Blank Page