July 15, 2010

Legislation will require manufacturing companies to be accountable for using minerals in their products that come from mines funding war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Rep. Jim McDermott celebrated the passage of provisions in the Wall Street reform bill that will hold accountable American companies that use minerals in their products from mines that help fund the devastating war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).  The provisions incorporate much of Rep. McDermott’s Conflict Minerals Trade Act (H.R. 4128) and will affect companies like Apple, Intel, and HP, requiring them to submit an annual report to the Securities and Exchange Commission outlining which of their products are not “conflict-free,” meaning they use minerals from mines controlled by armed groups. 

The conflict in the DRC has become one of the deadliest and most violent in modern history, where the rape of hundreds of thousands of women and girls has been used as a primary tool of war.  Estimates show that between 800 and 1,100 people are murdered each day in the country. Funding for armed groups often comes from the sale of minerals—often to American companies—from mines the groups control.

“This legislation will help save thousands of lives and help protect countless women in the Democratic Republic of Congo by cutting off a key source of funding for armed groups,” Rep. McDermott said. “This is a significant step forward in stopping the horrific conflict in the DRC, where rape has become a common tool of war.  The legislation will empower companies and create transparency for consumers to know which products—including things like cell phones and laptops—are made with minerals that have helped fund the conflict. This bill will go a long way to help curb the tide of violence that has gripped the DRC for a quarter-century.”

The legislation commissions an annual map of the DRC that will overlay areas of conflict with areas rich in mineral resources so refiners will know which mines are likely to fund conflict.  The bill also requires manufacturers of potential conflict goods to certify whether their products contain conflict minerals from conflict mines.  The legislation provides a one-year period before implementation to enable industries to enact successfully, and it requires industry to use outside auditors to determine whether refiners are indeed conflict-free.

"I want to thank Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman, Ranking Member Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and Congressman Donald Payne for their indispensible leadership on moving this legislation forward in the House,” Rep. McDermott said. “I also want to thank Senators Sam Brownback, Russ Feingold and Dick Durbin for their commitment ensuring these provisions were included in the Senate legislation. They are all true advocates for human rights and a stable and prosperous Africa.”

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