Конфликтные минералы
В частности, в Демократической республике Конго и граничащих с ней государствах добыча определенных типов сырья используется для финансирования развязанных там вооруженных конфликтов. При этом силы ополчения контролируют шахты, работы на которых ведутся с грубейшими нарушениями прав человека, и продают добытые так называемые конфликтные минералы (в основном, золото, тантал, вольфрам и олово – «минералы 3TG») по всему миру.
Некоторые предприятия в США в законодательном порядке обязали представлять отчеты о том, закупают ли они минералы 3TG в конфликтных регионах и в каком объеме. Цель этого – организовать в будущем покупку и продажу только неконфликтных минералов 3TG, что должно быть достигнуто, прежде всего, системой сертифицированной плавки. Соответствующее Постановление ЕС о конфликтных минералах также предусматривает обязанность плавильных и нефтеперерабатывающих заводов, а также крупных импортёров сырья предоставлять отчёты и проходить сертификацию.
Ни законодательные акты США, ни Постановление Европейского Союза не распространяются на компанию SICK в отношении обязательного предоставления отчетности. Тем не менее, компания SICK признает важность поставленной цели – противодействие финансированию вооруженных группировок, нарушающих права человека – и всеми силами содействует ее достижению. Компания SICK стремится использовать в своей продукции исключительно неконфликтные минералы 3TG и, в рамках этой работы, всецело поддерживает реализацию Процесса обеспечения ответственного происхождения минеральных ресурсов (Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP) Инициативы по ответственной поставке минералов (Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI).
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The regulation explained
On 1 January 2021 a new law will come into full force across the EU – the Conflict Minerals Regulation.
It aims to help stem the trade in four minerals – tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold – which sometimes finance armed conflict or are mined using forced labour.
About conflict minerals
The new regulation – what, when, why
Countries and companies covered
Due diligence
Implementation
Institutions and countries involved
History and next steps
What are ‘conflict minerals’?
In politically unstable areas, the minerals trade can be used to finance armed groups, fuel forced labour and other human rights abuses, and support corruption and money laundering.
These so-called ‘conflict minerals’ such as tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold, also referred to as 3TG, can be used in everyday products such as mobile phones and cars or in jewellery.
It is difficult for consumers to know if a product they have bought is funding violence, human rights abuses or other crimes overseas.
Which countries do conflict minerals come from?
The countries or areas considered to be conflict-affected or high-risk are those:
Why does the EU promote the responsible sourcing of minerals among its companies?
There are several points in the 3TG minerals and metals supply chain (e.g.: extraction, refining, transportation) where money from the sale may go to armed groups or criminals.
This source of income can help perpetuate armed conflict, violence and human rights abuses, often in weak or unstable countries.
Making sure that these armed groups and criminals can no longer rely on the purchase of 3TG as a source of income is a way of:
What does the new EU regulation do?
The regulation covers minerals and metals of:
The regulation requires EU companies in the supply chain to ensure they import these minerals and metals from responsible and conflict-free sources only.
When will the EU’s new regulation come into force?
The regulation was signed into law in June 2017.
The requirements for EU importers apply from 1 January 2021.
This gave companies plenty of time to adapt to the new rules.
Why does the EU regulation only cover four minerals?
The EU regulation covers tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold because these are the four minerals that are most often linked to armed-conflicts and related human rights abuses, so it makes sense to focus on them.
The regulation also draws on well-established rules to help stem the trade in conflict minerals. These have been drawn up by experts at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a group of 35 developed countries, in collaboration with industry, civil society and other governments.
They are set out in a document called ‘Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas’. The guidance has two sections dealing specifically with tin, tantalum and tungsten, and with gold.
The US also has legislation on conflict minerals: Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Act of 2010. It covers the same four products.
Does the EU’s regulation solve the problem of conflict minerals?
As the world’s largest trading bloc, the EU is a major market, so the regulation marks a big step in tackling trade in conflict minerals.
Countries around the world buy products containing these minerals, though, so it is important to encourage others to put in place similar measures as well. Once laws are in place, they also need to be properly implemented.
Which countries are concerned by the EU regulation?
The EU regulation will directly apply to companies that import tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold minerals and metals into the EU, no matter where they originate.
The European Commission will task a group of external experts to provide a list of conflict-affected and high-risk areas, which it will regularly update. The list will be:
How many companies does the regulation affect?
The regulation applies directly to between 600 and 1,000 EU importers.
It will indirectly affect about 500 smelters and refiners of tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold, whether they are based inside the EU or not.
Will the regulation only apply to companies based in the EU?
Directly, yes. The regulation will only apply directly to EU-based importers of tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold, whether these are in the form of mineral ores, concentrates or processed metals.
Indirectly, the regulation will also promote the responsible sourcing of smelters and refiners of tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold, whether they are based inside the EU or not. This is because EU importers will be required to identify the smelters and refiners in their supply chains and check whether they have the correct due diligence practices in place. Whenever EU importers find smelters and refiners’ practices to be insufficient or associated with risks, they will have to manage and report on this.
To help companies, the European Commission will create a so-called ‘white list’ of global smelters and refiners which source responsibly.
What does ‘due diligence’ mean?
The term ‘due diligence’ means acting with reasonable care and investigating an issue before making a decision. In other words, it is an on-going, proactive and reactive process through which companies put in place systems and processes to make sure they are able to identify, manage and report on risks in their supply chain.
For the minerals which the regulation covers, this means companies must check that what they buy is sourced responsibly and does not contribute to conflict or other related illegal activities.
Companies that practise due diligence first check how risky it is to source raw materials from a fragile or conflict-affected area. They assess the likelihood that those raw materials could be financing conflict, forced labour or other risks set out in the regulation.
By checking their supply chains, they can then make sure that they manage those risks responsibly.
How does the new EU system of due diligence work?
EU importers of tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold must check what they are buying, to ensure it has not been produced in a way that funds conflict or other related illegal practices.
The regulation requires importers to follow a five-step framework, which the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has laid out in a document called ‘Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas’ (OECD Guidance).
These steps require an importer to:
Why are there different requirements for different companies?
Production of goods often involves many different companies engaged in various types of activity along the supply chain.
Firms that extract, process and refine raw materials are called ‘upstream‘ companies. The EU regulation identifies as upstream companies:
Other firms, which we call ‘downstream’ companies, further process metals produced during the upstream stage into a finished product. The downstream stage includes the sale of the product to other businesses, governments or private individuals.
The EU regulation sets out different rules for upstream and for downstream companies:
Do all companies in the EU carry out due diligence?
At the moment not all companies in the EU carry out due diligence – but we expect more companies to do so in the coming years, thanks to this new regulation.
Who checks whether companies comply with the regulation? And how?
Each EU Member State must check whether EU importers comply with the regulation.
Member States’ authorities will examine documents and audit reports. If needed, they can carry out on-the-spot inspections of an importer’s premises.
How is it possible to know whether or not a mineral has been responsibly sourced?
EU importers must put in place internal systems and processes that provide the following information.
For example, importers of minerals should:
And both importers of minerals and metals should:
They must do so as part of their internal management system, and provide supporting documents.
When minerals come from conflict-affected and high-risk areas, importers must provide extra information on:
What happens if a company doesn’t comply with the regulation?
If a Member State finds an EU importer has not complied with the regulation, it will:
Who was involved in drafting and passing the new EU regulation?
As the EU’s executive body, the European Commission was in charge of drafting the regulation.
In doing so, it worked closely with the Council of the EU, where representatives of the governments of the EU’s Member States sit, and the European Parliament.
The Council and the European Parliament had the final say on approving the regulation.
The European Commission also consulted:
What are others doing to promote responsible sourcing?
In 2011 United Nations members unanimously endorsed Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights. The Guiding Principles state that companies have a responsibility to make sure their activities do not contribute to harm and abuses. The Guiding Principles recommend risk-based due diligence as a practical and effective way for companies to meet this responsibility.
Since 2011 the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) – an intergovernmental economic body of 35 developed countries – has issued guidance on responsible sourcing for companies operating in its member countries. The OECD Due Diligence Guidance is referenced as the international standard to help companies carry out their obligations.
In 2010 the US passed legislation, known as the Dodd Frank Act Section 1502. It requires US-listed companies to carry out due diligence on minerals sourced from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and neighbouring countries.
Several African countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, have passed laws requiring companies to check their supply chains.
In China, the CCCMC (China Chamber of Commerce of Metals Minerals & Chemicals Importers & Exporters), which is a subordinate unit of the Ministry of Commerce of China, has embarked on developing Chinese Due Diligence Guidelines for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains.
What were the main milestones in making the regulation a reality?
March
The European Commission and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs proposed an integrated EU approach to tackle the trade in minerals being used to finance armed groups in areas affected by conflict or at high-risk of being affected.
The approach consisted of:
May 20
The European Parliament:
December 18
The Council adopted its mandate for trilogues.
Agreement was reached on the main parts of the conflict minerals package between:
November 22
The three EU institutions agreed on the final package, comprising:
March 16
The European Parliament adopted the legal text of the regulation.
April
The Council of the EU (comprising EU governments) adopted the legal text on 3 April 2017.
Mid-May
The Presidency of the Council of the EU and the President of the European Parliament signed the legal text into law in Strasbourg.
End May
The text was published in the Official Journal of the EU and entered into force 20 days after publication.
What will be the next steps in putting the regulation into practice?
January 1
EU importers will need to carry out due diligence from this date by law.
The Commission encourages all companies covered by the regulation to start due diligence on their supply chains for tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold as soon as they are ready, preferably well before this date.
Конфликтные минералы. Кобальт – новый большой скандал цепи поставок батарей
Одна из ярых организаций по отстаиванию прав человека Amnesty International обнаружила достаточно серьезную проблему в цепи поставок наших любимцев Apple, Samsung, Sony, Microsoft – конфликтные минералы, т.е. при добыче которых гибнут люди или сильно ущемляются их права.
Amnesty призывает руководство этих крупнейших международных гигантов убедиться в том, что сырье, которое они используют не добыто рабским или детским трудом и не входит в группу конфликтные материалы. В своем отчете Amnesty указывает на то, что на незаконных рудниках по добыче кобальта в Республике Конго используется детский труд. Мало того, что эксплуатируются люди, так они еще и не обеспечены минимальным набором средств индивидуальной защиты.
Кобальт – это один из основных компонентов подзаряжаемых литиевых батарей, которые находятся в телефонах, планшетах, компьютерах, а с недавнего времени и в электрокарах.
При этом, Amnesty, совместно со своим партнером Afrewatch выявили, что около половины всего кобальта экспортируется из Республики Конго, в то время, как 20% от этого объема производиться неофициальными копателями, без применения современных средств добычи. Работы продолжаются мелкими добытчиками и в заброшенных шахтах, которые находятся в аварийной ситуации. Но выбор у местных жителей не велик и большинство с самого детства работает на добыче. Некоторые, чтобы оплатить свою учебу в школе, другие на постоянной основе, чтобы прокормить семью.
Но трейдеры покупают сырье независимо от того, как его добыли. Мелкие производители сбывают кобальт, например, китайской Congo Dongfang Mining International (или CDM, компания, принадлежащая группе Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Company). Они перерабатывают руду и экспортируют на свою родину и другие страны-производители компнентов, а там следы того, как была добыта руда уже и не найти.
Цепь поставок состоит из 4-5 звеньев, в том числе расположенных в разных концах света, а в итоге это попадает в качестве компонентов батарей в наши с вами телефоны и планшеты! Конечно, международное сообщество издаёт много документов, которые требуют соблюдения прав человек и т.д., но вряд ли компании-владельцы шахт в Конго или переработчик в Китае следуют им. Это надо требовать от конечных потребителей: нас – чтобы спрашивали; и производителей гаджетов – чтобы не покупали, если нет соответствующего аудита.
НО здесь встаёт дилемма того, что, как было написано выше 50% кобальта идёт из Конго, и откажись от него, трудно будет найти полноценную замену по цене.
В этой ситуации, наверное, у этих производителей нет другого выбора кроме как тоже издавать ноты нетерпимости к детскому труду в цепях поставок, но следуют им или нет – вопрос открытый. Что собственно и делает, например Apple, Microsoft и HP.
Конфликтные минералы в цене, «очистить» их стоит больших дополнительных затрат, которые в сегодняшнем мире жесточайшей конкуренции, полагаю, никто не готов на себя брать. В том числе и мы с вами, как это ни печально. Для того, чтобы ситуация начала меняться, наверное, нужно кардинальное изменение и прорыв в сфере производства батарей. Новые технологии, без кобальта, которые снимут этот риск для общества. В настоящий же момент, почти все литиевые батареи содержат кобальт и неизвестность того, как его добывали.
Сможем ли мы все вместе поднять вопрос «конфликтные минералы» на новый уровень и затронуть «души» гигантов – вопрос требующий не размышлений, а работы. Мы готовы как можем этому способствовать, как минимум доносим и открываем эту тему нашим читателям. Если и вы «ЗА» — присоединяйтесь, мы думаем над таким проектом.
Conflict minerals что это
With more than 400 member companies, the Responsible Minerals Initiative is one of the most utilized and respected resources for companies from a range of industries addressing responsible mineral sourcing issues in their supply chains.
We provide companies with tools and resources to make sourcing decisions that improve regulatory compliance and support responsible sourcing of minerals from conflict-affected and high-risk areas.
| VISION | RMI’s vision is that mineral supply chains contribute positively to social economic development globally. |
| MISSION | RMI serves as an umbrella organization for the voice of progressive industry to support responsible mineral sourcing broadly and convenes stakeholders to continually shape dialogue and practices. |
| GOAL | Working together, we are evolving business practices to support responsible mineral production and sourcing globally, including but not limited to conflict-affected and high-risk areas, providing companies with tools and resources that improve regulatory compliance, align with international standards, and support industry and stakeholder expectations. |
Due Diligence
Read about our tools and programs to enable due diligence and how they apply to minerals within your products.
Assurance Process
Learn about our flagship Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP) and access the standards and assessment documents.
Reporting Templates
Download our Conflict Minerals Reporting Template (CMRT) or Cobalt Reporting Template (CRT) to map your supply chain.
Политика ЛайтНэт в отношении «Конфликтных минералов» (Conflict Minerals)
Проблема конфликтных минералов.
Наши принципы.
Компания ЛайтНэт, являясь ведущим российским системным интегратором и поставщиком корпоративных информационных решений (основана в 1997 году) разделяет глобальные озабоченности в связи с нарушениями прав человека, связанными с незаконной добычей и торговлей Conflict Minerals в Демократической Республике Конго (ДРК) и в соседних с ней странах.
Компания ЛайтНэт признает необходимость прекращения незаконной добычи и торговли природными ресурсами.
Компания ЛайтНэт поддерживает действия наших Заказчиков по повышению прозрачности цепочек поставок оборудования, полностью понимает важность этих усилий.
Компания ЛайтНэт в своей работе руководствуется, прежде всего, Законодательством Российской Федерации. Тем не менее, соблюдение интересов Заказчиков в области Conflict Minerals является первоочередной задачей в нашей работе наравне с поставками официально и легально ввезенного оборудования на территорию Российской Федерации.
Компания ЛайтНэт ответственно относится к обязательствам в отношении Conflict Minerals.
Компания ЛайтНэт обязуется взаимодействовать с производителями, запрашивать информацию о содержании Conflict Minerals в оборудовании, своевременно реагировать на запросы Заказчиков.
