Suchergebnisse

Business enterprises involved in the exploitation of mineral resources originating from conflict zones are at risk of financing armed activities and fuelling systematic violations of international law and human rights abuses. This article first analyses the initiatives developed by the UN and OECD aimed at encouraging companies to respect human rights and avoid contributing to conflict by adopting "supply chain due diligence" practices. Second, it focuses on a recent Regulation adopted by the EU to tackle trade in certain minerals sourced from conflict-affected and high-risk areas in order to highlight its main positive aspects and challenges and, at the same time, to ascertain whether and to what extent this new legislation is consistent with the UN/OECD international standards on responsible sourcing.

This article analyses the relationship between UN, OECD and ICGLR on the issue of corporate social responsibility. At the beginning these international organizations had different positions on the social responsibility of enterprises sourcing minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo. After the endorsement by the UN Human Rights Council of the UN Guiding Principles on "business and human rights" they developed specific instruments that are consistent with and draw on these principles and set standards for responsible supply chains of minerals from conflict-affected areas.