ETHICAL SUPPLY CHAINS
'Conflict metal’ focus ignores other abuse
Abuses linked to mining in countries such as Myanmar and Colombia are being overlooked by technology companies
London — Abuses linked to mining in countries such as Myanmar and Colombia are being overlooked by technology companies focused only on eliminating "conflict minerals" from war-torn parts of Africa in their supply chains, according to researchers on Thursday. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, competition for mineral resources has fuelled two decades of conflict in its eastern provinces, including the 1998-2003 war. The country’s supply of tantalum, tin, tungsten and gold — metals used in smartphones, batteries and laptops — has been under scrutiny since 2010, when US laws required US-listed companies to ensure supply chains were free from "conflict minerals". Yet, the same minerals are being quarried in areas controlled by armed groups — sometimes using child labour — in countries such as Myanmar, Bolivia and Rwanda, according to research published by risk consultancy group Verisk Maplecroft on Thursday.
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