What is Conflict Minerals?

RESOURCES > GLOSSARY

Conflict Minerals Definition

Conflict minerals are natural resources that can be mined, or extracted, in conflict zone areas and sold to perpetuate wars, fighting, or military conflicts. United States legislation includes the four most commonly mined metals of tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold. The SEC rules define these conflict minerals as 3TG metals and they can be extracted from multiple global locations including the Dominican Republic of Congo (DRC), Russia, Argentina, and Canada. One of the most prominent examples comes from the DRC, where armies, rebels, and other outside actors have profited from mining while contributing to exploitation and violence during wars in this region.

What are Conflict Minerals

FAQs

Why are conflict minerals a problem?

Tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold have all been linked to supporting violence, killings, rape, and other human rights violations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other war zones. These minerals can find their way into the supply chains of global corporations and are used in consumer products such as laptops, cell phones, and automobiles.

source: https://www.business-humanrights.org

What are the four main conflict minerals?

Tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold are included by the EU law since they are the four minerals most frequently linked to armed conflicts and related human rights violations, thus it makes sense to concentrate on them. To help combat the trafficking in conflict minerals, the law depends on well-established rules. These were created in partnership with industry, civil society, and other governments by specialists at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a group of 35 developed countries.

source: https://ec.europa.eu

What minerals cause conflict?

Cassiterite (for tin), wolframite (for tungsten), coltan (for tantalum), and gold ore are the four most regularly mined conflict minerals (known as 3TGs, from their initials), which are extracted from the eastern Congo and transported through a number of intermediaries before being acquired. These minerals are required for the production of a wide range of gadgets, including consumer electronics like smartphones, tablets, and computers.

source: https://en.wikipedia.org

Strategies for Managing Compliance

Learn how to perform proper risk assessment and management evaluation and other necessary steps to ensure your organization manufactures compliant medical device products.

Learn More

SEE Arena
IN ACTION

GET A DEMO