Tackling conflict minerals

Ground-breaking Chinese Guidelines for overseas mining and mineral trading firms, launched in October 2014, promise benefits for both companies and local people. They comprise standards on labour, environmental protection, supply chain due diligence, community engagement and human rights.

Global Witness is marking the Guidelines’ launch with the publication of a new briefing paper, Tackling conflict minerals – How a new Chinese initiative can address Chinese companies’ risks.

It highlights a particular component of the Guidelines – the need for Chinese companies to carry out rigorous supply chain checks, known as due diligence. These checks help companies avoid funding brutal armed groups when sourcing minerals from conflict-affected and high-risk locations.

The report uses first hand Global Witness research from the Democratic Republic of Congo in central Africa to illustrate the reputational and legal risks facing Chinese and other companies when buying minerals originating from overseas. It also documents the national, international and industry schemes that may impact on these companies’ operations.

Global Witness is calling on mining companies and mineral trading companies to implement the new standards in order to ensure they can no longer be linked to harm against civilians in some of the most unstable and vulnerable places on earth.