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Helping companies source minerals responsibly
The OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas provides management recommendations for global responsible supply chains of minerals to help companies to respect human rights and avoid contributing to conflict through their mineral or metal purchasing decisions and practices. The Due Diligence Guidance is for use by any company potentially sourcing minerals or metals from conflict-affected and high-risk areas.
Text of the Guidance
Implementing the Guidance
Work is now starting to ensure the widest possible dissemination of the Guidance and its active use by companies throughout the mineral supply chain, industry associations, financial institutions, and civil society organisations. The OECD, the ICGLR and the UN Group of Experts on the DRC are working together to implement the Guidance in Africa's Great Lakes region.
Specific minerals present unique challenges for supply chain due diligence. Supplements on these minerals are being developed as an integral part of the Guidance. The Tin, Tantalum and Tungsten Supplement is already available. The Gold Supplement is being considered for final adoption by OECD Council in mid 2012 as part of a Revised Council Recommendation on Due Diligence Guidance.
A multi-stakeholder process
The Guidance was developed through a multi-stakeholder process with in-depth engagement from OECD and African countries, industry and civil society, as well as the United Nations Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of Congo. As a result, the Guidance is practically-oriented, with emphasis laid on collaborative constructive approaches to complex challenges.
Stakeholders in the ICGLR-OECD-UN GoE on the DRC forum on implementation of due diligence submitted a joint letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on 29 July 2011. Read the note of clarification on the stakeholders’ letter.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission is due to adopt the implementing regulations of the reporting requirements under Dodd-Frank Sec.1502 on conflict minerals. In a wide show of report, stakeholders have called on them to rely on and reference the Guidance. Read comments on the SEC website.
The US Department of State endorses the Guidance and encourages companies to draw upon it as they establish their due diligence practices. Read the statement signed by Under Secretaries Hormats and Otero.
The United Nations Security Council resolution 1952 (2010) supports taking forward the due diligence recommendations contained in the final report of the UN Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which endorses and relies on the OECD Due Diligence Guidance.
The Lusaka Declaration (English / Français) signed by 11 Heads of State of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) in December 2010 states the processes and standards of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance will be integrated into the six tools of the Regional Initiative against the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources. To intensify co-operation, a Memorandum of Understanding between the OECD and the ICGLR was signed on 13 December 2010. G8 leaders and African countries encouraged full implementation of the Lusaka Declaration at the Deauville G8 summit on 26-27 May 2011. Read G8/Africa joint declaration.
Documents and links
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Draft Hypothetical Critical Scenarios (PDF) presenting common challenges facing mining companies pursuing due diligence worldwide, particularly in conflict zones and fragile states, in areas of human rights, environment, transparency, corruption and the supply chain.
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Contact
For further information on the implementation of the Guidance, please contact:
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Permanent url: www.oecd.org/daf/investment/mining
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