MMA recently signed a shareholder letter stating its opposition toward the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and highlighting the need for an immediate and concerted effort by major information technology companies to ensure they are not inadvertently supporting one of the world’s most deadly conflicts.

Armed groups control a significant number of the mines in the Eastern Congo, and the minerals reaped from these mines are a major source of income for the warring groups. These “conflict minerals” enter complex supply chains and end up in refined electronics goods such as laptops, video game consoles, mobile phones and other electronic equipment in medical devices and automobiles. Accordingly, this Investor Statement urges companies to take action to ensure their products are free of conflict minerals originating in the DRC.

To do their part to stop the continuing violence, investors recommend that companies take immediate and decisive action to:

* Make a public statement condemning the use of mineral revenue to fuel the ongoing conflict in the DRC and explain the steps the company is taking to address the issue;

* Develop policies and procedures to identify where the raw metals in their products originate from and ensure conflict minerals are not entering into their supply chain;

* Work with suppliers throughout their entire supply chain to ensure internal policies on sourcing conflict minerals are being adhered to;

* Work with NGOs, industry associations, investors and other stakeholders to support various CSR, legislative and diplomatic strategies that will help end the exchange of minerals from the DRC that finance the ongoing conflict.

The full letter can be viewed here: DRC Investor Statement

This entry was posted on Monday, December 21st, 2009 at 9:48 am and is filed under Human Rights, Mark, Chris. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.