Topic: Reducing Violence Associated with Conflict Minerals
Country: Qatar
Delegate Name: Madeline Bolton
School: Royal Oak High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Qatar position papers GLIMUN 2011 committees
Conflict minerals include any commodity that creates disagreement. They include cassiterite, columbite-tantalite, oil, water, tungsten, coltan, diamonds, and gold (just to list a few examples). Coltan is a mineral used in cell phones, computers and other electronics. Slavery is often used to mine some of these minerals. Especially diamonds, in Angola and Sierra Leon are mined by slave labor and are used to fund rebel groups (otherwise known as blood diamonds). To prevent the use of slave labor from happening, in 2003 the Kimberly Process was adapted. IT requires certification as to where diamonds originate from. This has decreased the amount of blood diamonds entering the market.
Some forget that conflict minerals also include water and oil. Countries in Africa want to use the Nile's water all for themselves by building dams. Countries like Sudanese, and Ethiopia have started plans for building dams. Ethiopia's plan for a dam, the Grand Millennium Dam, sparks conflict with Egypt and Sudan. Oil, otherwise known as black gold, is also a major conflict mineral. Rebel groups, different countries, and governments fight for their share of the oil. Rebel groups damage the oil pipes to express anger toward government, which also creates conflict .
Qatar's main source of revenue is oil. The oil industry is controlled by the government, so there isn't much conflict involving Qatari oil, since their government is stable. They are trying to lessen their dependence on oil by pursuing renewable resources. Qatar has already signed and agreed to pursue renewable recourses for income, such as biofuel. Qatar is in favor of the Kimberly process. Although not applicable to their own country, they encourage other countries to adopt the policy. Qatar supports the equal distribution of water. Qatar has problems itself with proving water for its people. The only source of water is groundwater. Because of new technologies, Qatar now depends on treated water rather than groundwater.
Political intervention is a solution to conflict minerals. If Qatar and other willing and able nations support tightening regulations to ensure the legal production of the minerals, the illegal production of the minerals could be reduced. To reduce the need of conflict minerals, companies that use the minerals need to be educated on where and how the minerals are illegally produced. When educated, the need for legal minerals will increase, making the companies want to require a certificate of origin. This is outlined in the Kimberly process, but it only applies to diamonds. If this same policy were applied to other minerals, conflict could be reduced.
