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Conflict Minerals in Roll Call

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Conflict Minerals in Roll Call

Posted by Laura Heaton on April 21, 2009

An article in Roll Call yesterday looked at the work being done to finalize a Senate bill that would legislate layers of transparency into the global minerals trade. The article heralded conflict minerals as the next big thing in a corporate social responsibility trend set by “Kathie Lee Gifford’s clothing line, Nike shoes, Pakistani soccer balls, Uzbek cotton and diamonds from Sierra Leone.”

As the article noted, “This is not a new concept; the electronics industry in the United States and Europe has a code of conduct and large coalitions that promote a transparent supply chain.” But as our recent strategy paper made clear, these efforts have been woefully insufficient, and women and girls bear the brunt of the violence. The Roll Call article is well worth a read for its explanation of challenges popular movements face but also the great potential they can have to promote human rights.