The Sustainability Learning Forum

Conflict Minerals and SEC Disclosure Regulation

Prof. Celia Taylor, University of Denver Sturm College of Law

Mention the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank” or the “Act”),[1] and most people think of legislation aimed at “fundamental reform of the financial system”[2] focused on regulation of Wall Street practices and complex financial products. But tucked within the voluminous text of the Act (which consists of 2,300 pages and stipulates the passage of 387 rules by 20 different agencies[3]) is a provision having nothing to do with these issues or anything remotely related to them. Instead the “conflict minerals” provision of the Act requires companies that are subject to the reporting requirement of the federal securities laws to disclose whether they manufacture products using so-called “conflict minerals” sourced from the Democratic Republic of Congo (“DRC”) or contiguous countries.[4] more[...]

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Blood on your mobile phone? Capturing the gains for artisanal miners, poor workers and women

Dr. Dev Nathan, Institute for Human Development

Capturing the Gains research into the global production of mobile phones traces the connections between armed factions, poverty and violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and mobile phone users worldwide. The critical link is coltan, or columbite tantalite. It is the raw material for tantalum, an essential mineral in the manufacture of mobile phones, computers and other electronic equipment. more[...] login_required

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Gold is now the Most Lucrative Conflict Mineral from Eastern Congo

Enough Project

Gold smuggled from eastern Congo’s war zone is now the most lucrative conflict mineral and is ending up at jewelry stores and banks, according to a new investigative report by the Enough Project. The study found that following a 65 percent drop in profits from the conflict minerals tin, tungsten, and tantalum, armed groups have increasingly turned to smuggling the fourth conflict mineral, gold, to generate income that finances mass atrocities in eastern Congo. The armed groups use poorly paid miners, who work in dangerous conditions, including thousands of children as young as eight years old. The study maps out how conflict gold makes its way from eastern Congo to consumers worldwide who purchase it in the form of wedding rings and watches, and investment banks that buy gold bars. more[...] login_required

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From Child Miner to Jewelry Store

Enough Project

This is the first of two papers on the illegal conflict-gold trade from eastern Congo that is fueling one of the most violent conflicts in the world. This paper tracks the transnational trade from mines in eastern Congo to consumers. The second paper will map a way to resolve this problem by setting out recommendations to formalize the trade, cut down conflict-gold smuggling, and create jobs to provide living wages to Congolese miners. more[...] login_required

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Friends of Kitui

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WE Charity

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Addressing the Global Health Issue of Zinc Deficiency

Emily Hamer, Teck Ressources Limited
Teck Resources Limited

Teck is a diversified resource company committed to responsible mining and mineral development with major business units focused on copper, steelmaking coal, zinc, and energy. The pursuit of sustainability guides Teck’s approach to business. The company, which is based in Vancouver, Canada, is building partnerships and capacity to address sustainability challenges within the regions in which it operates and at the global level. more[...]

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The Children First

Lilines Urriola Herrera, medcom
medcom

In the past year, Panama has made some important and positive headlines worldwide. The country was awarded an investment grade credit rating by both of the globally renown ratings agencies, Fitch Ratings and Standard and Poor’s. Also, the New York Times named Panama as the number one travel destination in 2012. The country also had economic growth of 8 percent from 2006 to 2010, and in 2011 the country’s economy grew 10.6 percent, making it one of the fastest-growing economies in Latin America. more[...] login_required

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“Actions of Life” – Actions of Responsibility for Society

Yiannis Roundos, INTERAMERICAN
Interamerican Group

Contributing to society with social responsibility initiatives and actions constitutes a core element of INTERAMERICAN’s mission. For this reason, the company invests significant amounts of time into various social actions, above and beyond the responsible practices that it has integrated into activities of its business operations. From its inception until today, it has continually focused on the people and society in general. more[...] login_required

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Factory of the Future – The Otto Grameen Textile Company

Editorial Team

Over two million people work in the textile industry in Bangladesh, with women accounting for 80 percent of the workforce in clothing factories. The clothing industry is one of the region’s key employers and plays an important role as a source of income for the poorest strata of society. These people need the jobs, yet all too often they have to work in textile factories under poor safety conditions for wages that do not even cover their basic needs. more[...] login_required

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Factory of the Future – The Otto Grameen Textile Company

Andreas Streubig, Otto Group
Otto Group

Over two million people work in the textile industry in Bangladesh, with women accounting for 80 percent of the workforce in clothing factories. The clothing industry is one of the region’s key employers and plays an important role as a source of income for the poorest strata of society. These people need the jobs, yet all too often they have to work in textile factories under poor safety conditions for wages that do not even cover their basic needs. more[...]

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Aid for children from the cocoa supply chain in Ghana

Charlotte Thorø Berghof, Toms Gruppen A/S
Toms Group

The recurrent focus on the issue of child labour in the cocoa bean supply chain caused Danish chocolate manufacturer, Toms, to partner with Danida and IBIS, a Danish aid NGO. This partnership has resulted in a Toms education project in Ghana, improving the quality of schooling for 15,000 children in cocoa producing areas. more[...] login_required

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Danish partnership benefits children from the cocoa supply chain in Ghana

Charlotte Thorø Berghof, Toms Gruppen A/S
Toms Group

The recurrent focus on the issue of child labour in the cocoa bean supply chain caused Danish chocolate manufacturer, Toms, to partner with Danida and IBIS, a Danish aid NGO. This partnership has resulted in a Toms education project in Ghana, improving the quality of schooling for 15,000 children in cocoa producing areas. more[...]

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Building Social Wealth through Education

Editorial Team

About one out of every three Egyptians above the age of 15 cannot read or write. Despite various efforts of national literacy initiatives, as well as those organized by the many nongovernmental organizations and private enterprises operating in the country, Egypt still ranks 132nd worldwide in terms of literacy. more[...] login_required

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Building Social Wealth through Education

Walid Nagi, UN Global Compact

About one out of every three Egyptians above the age of 15 cannot read or write. Despite various efforts of national literacy initiatives, as well as those organized by the many nongovernmental organizations and private enterprises operating in the country, Egypt still ranks 132nd worldwide in terms of literacy. more[...]

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