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CONFLICT MINERALS


FOCUS 16


by NICOLA COBB


MINERALS: Time to Act


CONFLICT © 2013 KPMG LLP, a UK limited liability partnership, is a subsidiary of KPMG Europe LLP and a member fi rm of the KPMG network of independent member fi rms affi liated with KPMG International Cooperative, a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.


Supply-chain transparency has been the holy grail for organisations aiming to make their operations more effi cient, but new legislation soon to be implemented in the US promises to bring about an entirely new perspective.


T


he Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act will require companies to actively track the source of some of the most commonly used minerals


in manufacturing.


The legislation stems from long-standing concerns about minerals originating from mines in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Various non-government organisations have been pressuring US Congress for years to take steps to address the trade in so-called ‘confl ict minerals’, which is worth many millions of dollars and is believed to be fi nancing one of the deadliest confl icts since the Second World War. The mines are typically located at remote locations, working conditions are dangerous and local civilians, including children, are often forced or coerced to work long shifts.


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