Urge Your Representative to Cosponsor the Conflict Minerals Trade Act

Urge Your Representative to Cosponsor the Conflict Minerals Trade Act

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Today, <a href='http://www.house.gov/mcdermott/pr091119.shtml'>Representative Jim McDermott (D-WA) introduced legislation</a> to ensure that when we purchase a cell phone or laptop here in the U.S., we are not financing perpetrators of crimes against humanity in Congo. Co-sponsored by Representatives Frank Wolf (R-VA) and Barney Frank (D-MA),the Conflict Minerals Trade Act will help develop the means to ensure that the multimillion dollar trade in conflict minerals from eastern Congo stops financing the world&rsquo;s deadliest conflict since World War II. Specifically, the bill will put in place a system of audits and regulations that would help stop companies from importing conflict minerals into the United States.&nbsp;<br /><br />A coalition of international nonprofit organizations - including the Enough Project, Human Rights Watch, World Vision, Oxfam America, and Global Witness, among others &ndash; today <a href='http://www.enoughproject.org/files/CongoJointStatement.pdf?elq=4fc031c55f4a4480a300ddd7ec81287e'>released a joint statement of support</a> for the Conflict Minerals Trade Act of 2009 in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill also received support from various stakeholders in the electronics industry, including the Information Technology Industry Council and HP. <br /> <br />Legislation in the US alone will not end the conflict in eastern Congo, but this bill would provide a crucial step toward the creation of a practical and enforceable means to ensure that the trade in Congolese minerals contributes to peace rather than war. This bill would also serve as a useful precedent for other countries to develop legislation for holding to account companies in their jurisdiction who may be fuelling the conflict in eastern Congo. <br /><br />What will this bill do?<br />This bill demands greater transparency and accountability from those companies whose products contain these mineral ores or their derivatives. The U.S. government would identify those commercial goods that could contain conflict minerals, approve a list of independent monitoring groups qualified to audit the worldwide processing facilities for these minerals, and eventually restrict the importation of minerals to those from audited facilities. Importers of these goods would have to certify on their customs declaration that their goods &ldquo;contain conflict minerals&rdquo; or are &ldquo;conflict mineral free&rdquo; based upon this audit system. The audits would determine the mines of origin for processed materials, verify the chain of custody and verify information provided by suppliers through investigations in the DRC and other countries.<br /><br />Importantly, the bill would also direct the State Department to support multilateral and U.S. government efforts to break the link between the trade in minerals and armed conflict in eastern Congo. <br /><br />Click <a href='http://www.raisehopeforcongo.org/files/FactSheet.pdf?elq=4fc031c55f4a4480a300ddd7ec81287e'>here</a> to get more details about the bill and watch press conference above.<br /><br /><a href='http://www2.americanprogress.org/t/1659/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=6281'>Click here to contact your Representatives and ask them to cosponsor the Conflict Minerals Trade Act of 2009.</a>

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