Tackling Conflict Minerals: How a New Chinese Initiative Can Address Chinese Companies' Risks
Publisher: Global Witness
Author(s): Global Witness
Date: 2014
Topics: Extractive Resources
Countries: Congo (DRC)
A Chinese government-affiliated body, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce for Minerals, Metals and Chemicals Importers and Exporters (CCCMC), published this month ground-breaking Guidelines for its mining and mineral trading companies operating overseas. The progressive and ambitious standards cover wide-ranging aspects of responsible corporate behaviour including preventing conflict and corruption, labour rights, environmental protection, and community relations.
This briefing highlights the necessity and potential value of the new Guidelines to shape company behaviour on one critical issue – “conflict minerals”. Conflict minerals are mined or traded in a way that fund armed groups and rogue army elements who commit violence against local populations. The Guidelines aim to address this problem by ensuring that companies buying minerals from conflict- affected and high-risk areas undertake robust checks on their supply chains.