Field report: Addressing Conflict Mineral Abuses (EU)

Goal:

To ensure that the European Parliament show stronger leadership in the fight to end the unacceptable abuses fueled by conflict minerals by calling for European companies to be required to check their supply chains to help end the trade in conflict minerals, rather than the adoption of a voluntary scheme.

Summary:

In 2015, in partnership with Amnesty International and Global Witness, we had an important opportunity to tackle the deadly trade in conflict minerals that are often obtained in extreme conditions of exploitation, violence and modern slavery. The European Commission had put forward a proposal to encourage companies to check their supply chains to ensure that the minerals they buy from conflict-affected and high-risk areas are attained responsibly without funding violence or suffering. However, their existing proposal didn’t go far enough and would likely have little impact. Therefore, it was necessary to petition the European Parliament to add the needed language and show leadership in the fight to end these unacceptable abuses.

Outcome:

On 20 May 2015, the European Parliament voted in favor of a historic new law to tackle the trade in conflict minerals. Thanks to nearly 300,000 advocates’ actions, Members of European Parliament (MEP) called for legislation that would require European companies that source these metals to do so responsibly. This will really start to improve the lives of people suffering as a result of this devastating trade issue.  

Note:

Click here to read the response from our partners Amnesty International and Global Witness: European Parliament Defies Lobbying to Vote for Strong Conflict Minerals Regulation 

Our partner in this campaign:

Amnesty International

Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 7 million people who take injustice personally. They are campaigning for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all. They are independent of any political ideology, economic interest or religion. No government is beyond scrutiny. No situation is beyond hope. Few would have predicted when they started that torturers would become international outlaws. That most countries would abolish the death penalty. And seemingly untouchable dictators would be made to answer for their crimes.

Global Witness

Many of the world’s worst environmental and human rights abuses are driven by the exploitation of natural resources and corruption in the global political and economic system. Global Witness is campaigning to end this. They carry out hard-hitting investigations, expose these abuses, and campaign for change. Global Witness is independent, not-for-profit, and works with partners around the world in our fight for justice.

Congo Calling

Congo Calling was launched off the back of Bandi Mbubi’s thought-provoking TEDx talk given on the 20th April 2012. There was so much enthusiasm and interest in working towards fair trade phones, and supporting clean mineral campaigns. They demand fair trade food and fair trade clothes. The time has come to demand fair trade phones. On the 20th April 2012, Bandi Mbubi presented his talk at TEDxExeter – Congo Calling – to a standing ovation. This campaign is the manifestation of the very human momentum that built up in response to Bandi’s talk. A seed was sewn, an idea worth spreading.

Enough Project

The Enough Project is helping to build a permanent constituency to prevent genocide and crimes against humanity. They are raising awareness and taking action to address human rights crimes in Sudan, Congo, and areas of Africa impacted by the Lord’s Resistance Army.

Genocide and war crimes are not inevitable, and Enough wants to create noise and action both to stop ongoing atrocities and to prevent their recurrence. Their mission is to help people from every walk of life understand the practical actions they can take to make a difference. Their strategy is to energize diverse communities – including students, religious groups, activists, business leaders, celebrities, and Diaspora networks – to ensure that their voices are heard on some of the most pressing foreign policy and moral challenges facing the world today.