A very interesting topic that could help informing all what actually
happens in Africa and to gain some insight into how these minerals are
obtained. While not only does the revenues benefit armed groups, the
manner in which it is obtained should also be placed under scrutiny viz.
under duress, using slave labour, etc. I mention this as it is the
conglomerates who prefer to ignore the humanitarian aspect of mining
these conflict minerals as well - this makes them more culpable than the
armed groups themselves. Lest be said about the lower-than-market prices
these minerals are bought for by these companies - else they would not
be buying, would they? All in the name of progress!

BTW, for those unaware, niobium and tantalum is extracted from the
columbite-tantalite ore - tantalum, used in capacitors is just about in
every electronic gadget we use.

Though Edward Wyatt's article is reported from a political perspective,
let's not only leave it up to the lawmakers. As consumers, pleading
ignorance and burying our heads in the ground does not make us better
people while others suffer or die so we can call our loved ones on our
cellphones just to ask if they are safe and healthy, or making a cup of
coffee during a football break when watching it from our wonderful 42"
or 55" televisions! Worse, we get to watch the news from Africa on these
big screens in the comfort of our home only to comment, '.. Africa is
always at war, they cannot manage themselves....'! Something has always
fed African conflict i.e. the insatiable appetite of greed, technology,
progress and the markets we as consumers participate in.


Regards
Grant Emandien

-----Original Message-----
From: Leadfree [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Michael Kirschner
Sent: Sunday, May 23, 2010 21:30
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [LF] Conflict Minerals Trade Act H.R. 4128

From the New York Times:

Congo Minerals Provision Becomes Part of Financial Bill

By EDWARD WYATT

WASHINGTON - During their long effort to pass a financial regulation
bill, senators cited many causes for the housing crisis and the
financial market collapse that led to the recession.

The mining of minerals in Congo was not one of them.

Nevertheless, tucked into the bill passed by the Senate on Thursday is a
provision that requires any publicly traded company that uses certain
minerals to file reports annually with the Securities and Exchange
Commission certifying whether the minerals originated in Congo or
neighboring countries.

It also requires them to report what steps the company took to ensure
that the purchase of these minerals did not benefit armed groups in
Africa.
Minerals trading in Africa is often used to finance military activities.

These are not just any minerals, however. Columbite-tantalite,
cassiterite, wolframite, gold and metals derived from them are widely
used in the manufacture of cellphones, laptop computers, MP3 players,
digital cameras and all sorts of other consumer electronics. Thus, the
regulations could affect hundreds of companies.

Wolframite, for example, is a source of tungsten, which is used in
integrated circuits, light bulbs, and computer and television screens.

The measure calls for any company using the minerals as a primary
ingredient in its products to file the reports and to describe the steps
taken to ensure that its mineral procurements did not benefit armed
groups in Africa.

Senate leaders had vowed that the financial regulation bill would not be
weighed down by amendments favoring the pet projects of lawmakers. But
the Congo mineral amendment has been a project of Senator Sam Brownback,
Republican of Kansas, for years. The amendment was approved by a voice
vote.

Mr. Brownback, who argued strongly for the need to exclude auto dealers
from the regulations the legislation imposes on them by a new consumer
financial protection bureau, said he was "hopeful that this amendment
will bring accountability and transparency to the supply chain of
minerals used in the manufacturing of many electronic devices, without
placing a disproportionate burden on publicly traded companies."

See http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/22/business/22congo.html

=========================

Scroll down here for the amendment:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?r111:1:./temp/~r111Tx9b1H:e28298:

And see the press release and report from EICC/GESI about the
tracking/tracking report done by RESOLVE:

http://www.eicc.info/PDF/EICC%20and%20GeSI%20Metals%20Tracing%20Report%2
0Published.pdf

Fundamentally, Senator Brownback's amendment is irrelevant and
inappropriate to the senate bill; even the NYT reporter quoted above
sees that.
Furthermore the amendment itself says - as I read it anyway - that the
Secretary of State can delay the reporting requirement as long as she
"certifies that armed parties to the ongoing armed conflict in the
Democratic Republic of Congo or adjoining countries continue to be
directly involved and benefitting from commercial activity involving
columbite-tantalite, cassiterite, gold, or wolframite." So it's could
just be viewed as just so much grandstanding, for now...

Michael Kirschner
President
Design Chain Associates, LLC
415.904.8330
--
Design Chain Associates, LLC - Design Chain Solutions for Competitive
Advantage 
 
www.DesignChainAssociates.com
www.ChinaRoHS.com
www.KoreaRoHS.com
www.REACHEU.com

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