Topic: Reducing Violence Associated with Conflict Minerals
Country: United Kingdom
Delegate Name: Dimi Tcholakov
School: Fishers High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All United Kingdom position papers GLIMUN 2011 committees
The United Kingdom believes several actions must be taken to reduce violence associated with conflict minerals. This violence connected to conflict minerals is primarily in the eastern portion of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The United Kingdom has not had regulations concerning the trade of conflict minerals in the past, which has led to this problem in the Democratic Republic of Congo. These problems have been largely caused by conflict in the area since 1998, with the beginning of the Second Congo War. This conflict officially ended 2003, but fighting still continues in the eastern area of the country. In more recent times, however, there is more legislation that seeks to limit the minerals’ influence on conflict in the region by regulation of the industry. The primary minerals that are considered conflict minerals are cassiterite, coltan, wolframite, and gold. They have numerous uses in the automotive, aerospace, defense, and software industries. This causes these minerals to be very valuable, and for the regular care that is taken concerning human rights to be decreased. An end needs to be put to the funding of conflict through the mining and sale of these minerals.
The United Kingdom has recently taken a very strong focus on the problem that is being caused by the sale of conflict minerals, especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the past, this problem was not as clearly identified, and not nearly as prevalent as it is today. More recently, however, there has been legislation that is seeking to limit the corruption that is preventing these problems to be tackled. The UK Bribery Act will play a role in curbing the corruption both in the UK and internationally. When corporations are limited by regulations from doing business with the producers of conflict minerals, the money of the violent groups will end, and the violence will stop as a result of this.
The United Kingdom thinks that the best plan of action to combat the problem of the violence caused by conflict minerals is to fight it at the international corporations that fund the continued use of this brutal strategy. There needs to be more regulations that will limit the trade with violent groups that are known to be funded by conflict minerals. Some things that will help achieve this greater regulation are limitations set on British companies working overseas. There needs to be greater transparency in international trade, especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in order to limit the effects of conflict minerals on the citizens of that country. The abuses caused by this trade must be stopped. The United Kingdom is also closely monitoring the Dodd-Frank legislation on conflict minerals and wants to see how it is implemented, and how much of an effect it has on lessening the problem. The United Kingdom knows the devastation that conflict minerals cause, and it wants to lessen this destruction. Only through greater international transparency and corporate responsibility will this problem be solved.
