Topic: Reducing Violence Associated with Conflict Minerals
Country: Iraq
Delegate Name: Merrick Perpich
School: Ann Arbor Community High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Iraq position papers GLIMUN 2011 committees
There are many countries where conflict is common, such as Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These groups from these countries that fight do not have governments to collect taxes, they support themselves by profiting off of “Conflict Minerals”; minerals mined in areas of human rights abuse and conflict. Some of these minerals include gold, coltan, and cassiterite. The minerals are necessary for making common electronics we all own, such as cell phones and laptops. Companies can often find these on the black market for cheaper than the legitimately mined equivalent, and the money the groups receive goes back into fueling the ongoing conflict.
For some time now, The UN has been taking steps to stop this. They are doing so by attempting to attack the problems roots. In November of 2010, The U.N. made its first efforts by passing Resolution 1952. This resolution lays out a strong international framework for companies to follow for purchasing minerals from the wider Great Lakes region. If companies do not follow these codes of conduct, they will be sanctioned. This was unanimously passed, and supported by all nations of the UN, including Iraq. The UN was also successful in passing bills like the Dodd-Frank bill, and as a result legitimate mining of minerals in the Congo has increased significantly While we may not have the infrastructure to be a leading nation in this cause, we are fully in support.
