Pact [to 13 February 2016]
http://www.pactworld.org/news

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February 11, 2016
Plummeting commodity prices increase risk of ‘conflict minerals’ in consumer electronic devices
Washington, D.C.
A steep fall in worldwide mineral prices is jeopardizing the operational traceability system designed to both stem ‘conflict minerals’ and protect vulnerable artisanal miners in Africa’s Great Lakes region.

At risk are rollbacks, suspensions and even closure of the iTSCi traceability and due diligence system that Pact has helped governments to implement in more than 800 mines, ensuring the livelihoods of more than 60,000 artisanal miners in Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi.

Prices for tin, tungsten, and tantalum – 3T minerals that are used in all smartphones, computers, and airliners – have plummeted over the past year. While miners all over the world face the same price squeeze, the impact is magnified in central Africa where producers have to meet exceptionally strict requirements for due diligence if they are to trade on the international market. Central African miners and traders are at a commercial disadvantage and have to cut their own cost, including levies that self-fund the system during normal market conditions…