Congolese Cobalt and Consumer Electronics Katanga Calling

Published by Friends of the Earth Netherlands | SOMO | The Good Electronics Network Published by Friends of the Earth Netherlands/Milieu­ defensie, SOMO and the GoodElectronics Network. © May 2015

Some of the case descriptions in this brochure are based on ongoing research and have been anonymised pend­ ing further review. An extensive report on these cases is forthcoming (2015).

Acknowledgement This publication draws from research by PREMICONGO and ACIDH, as well as from publicly available sources. The content of this brochure is however the sole responsi­ bility of Friends of the Earth Netherlands (Milieudefensie), SOMO and the GoodElectronics Network.

Layout and printing: Ruparo, Amsterdam

Cover image: Women at work between the residues ­(stériles) of the Kipushi zinc-copper mine in Katanga. © Gwenn Dubourthoumieu

This document has been produced with the financial assis­ tance of the Ecosystem Alliance, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Union. The content of this document is the sole responsibility of Milieudefen­ sie, SOMO and the GoodElectronics Network, and should under no circumstances be taken to reflect the position of the Ecosystem Alliance, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the European Union.

2 Katanga Calling ina Cranston g ina A young girl carries around 40kg

Geor of rocks from a mine in DRC.

Contents

Introduction 2

Copper and cobalt from Katanga 3

Mining sectors 6

Artisanal mining 6

Cobalt: A most valuable by-product 8

Fair devices? 9

Never consulted 10

The air we breathe 11

The tragedy of Basse Kando 12

The wasted waters of Kafubu 14

Exploited labour 16

Towards a hopeful perspective 17

From conflict-free to responsible mining 18

Katanga Calling 1 Democratic Republic Congo Katanga Province

Katanga

Congo River

Katanga Province

Katangan Katangan copperbelt copperbelt Kolwezi Kisanfu Likasi Nature Reserve Basse Kando Nature Reserve Lubumbashi Angola Kafubu River

Zambia

Introduction

Copper and cobalt mining in Katanga urgently needs to evolve towards responsible practices.

Responsible sourcing of minerals is increasingly consid­ Cobalt to gadget ered a desirable way of doing business: fortunately, as The cobalt taken from those mines is used in consumer resource extraction often still fuels armed conflicts when products like mobile phones and laptops, car batteries, no action is taken to prevent this. One of the best-known tools, lenses, jewellery and healthcare. Ethical sourcing of resource-funded conflicts is the war in the eastern prov­ minerals has been central to the debate about the supply inces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In chain responsibility of electronics companies further down the DRC, impunity and weak public institutions result in the line. Some specific steps have been taken regard­ recurring violence, in which control over Congo’s rich min­ ing conflict minerals. In the USA, the 2010 Dodd-Frank eral resources remains a central catalyst. Act requires listed companies to disclose the source of minerals in their products. The European Commission has Even in less violent circumstances, mineral extraction risks proposed a conflict minerals regulation currently under causing corruption, social problems issues and environ­ discussion in the European Parliament. mental destruction. The situation in Katanga, DR Congo’s southernmost province and home to large deposits of However, much more is needed in order to improve the copper and cobalt, is a poignant example. Although the human rights and environmental conditions in the mining security situation in Katanga is much better than in its areas of our world. This brochure reports on the human neighbouring Kivu provinces, mining takes place at a high and environmental costs of cobalt extraction in Katanga in human and environmental cost. Communities pay a bru­ the DRC. tal price when they lose their livelihoods to make way for mining projects. Workers risk their health and lives in Con­ go’s dangerous pits.

2 Katanga Calling Copper mine in Sakania, Katanga,

Gwenn Dubourthoumieu owned by Eurasian Resources Group.

Copper and cobalt from Katanga

Katanga province harbours some of the largest cobalt reserves in the world.

The Democrati c Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the The mining sector in Katanga has long been a monopoly world’s largest cobalt producer. The country, nearly two- of Gécamines, the state­owned company that made the thirds the size of the European Union, is endowed with a DRC the world’s largest producer of copper and cobalt. In wealth of natural resources in almost all sectors, of which the 1990s, Gécamines faced numerous crises that eventu­ the mining sector is the most prominent. ally led to its bankruptcy. Internati onal fi nancial insti tu- ti ons such as the World Bank subsequently called for The province of Katanga, located in the south, has vast the privati sati on of the mining sector. During this period, deposits of high­grade copper and associated minerals there was a mining scramble in both the arti sanal (infor- such as cobalt, zinc and lead. These resources are con­ mal) and industrial (formal) mining sectors. Exploitati on centrated in the District of Haut-Katanga, in the citi es of was characterised by rampant corrupti on. Lubumbashi, Kolwezi and Likasi, and in the townships of Tenke and Fungurume. The reserves of these metals are Privati sati on of the mining sector did not bring about esti mated to be some of the largest in the world. improvements to the living conditi ons of the people near these companies, which remain precarious. Most of the local people sti ll have no access to drinking water, health care, educati on or electricity.

Katanga Calling 3 Entrepreneurs in Katanga’s extraction

business enjoy Lubumbashi’s golf course. Gwenn Dubourthoumieu

Human Development Profits for some Despite the export value of its minerals, which runs to bil­ While Katanga’s minerals are extracted and exported to lions of dollars, the DRC lags at the bottom of the UNDP’s the benefit of some, numerous communities have become Human Development Index (HDI). The index is a tool for the victims of environmental pollution associated with the assessing long-term progress in three basic dimensions mining. They have nowhere to turn for support. They have of human development: a long and healthy life, access often literally been raided by the mining companies. The to knowledge and a decent standard of living. The DRC right to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) is virtually is ranked 186 out of 187 territories, with a HDI value of non-existent. Most communities have never been con­ 0.338, just 0.002 points above its HDI in 1980. Of Con­ sulted in advance, let alone consented to these operations go’s estimated population of75.5 million people, 87.7 per­ in their villages. cent live in poverty.

4 Katanga Calling Mining activities have depleted water resources. The people of the village of Kawama, Katanga,

Gwenn Dubourthoumieu have to walk several kilometres to get clean water.

Informed consent With Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) communi­ The reality in Katanga is very different. Villages are relo­ ties have the right to say yes or no to a proposed project. cated and agricultural land is often confiscated without The principle has evolved from the human rights position the community being consulted at al. Adequate compen­ that force or involuntary conditions imposed on impacted sation for confiscated land simply does not happen. These peoples are not legitimate development mechanisms. practices constitute violations of national and internation­ It demands that the community can make a choice on the al laws that are supposed to protect the affected commu­ basis of adequate information about the type, risks and nities. benefits of a potential project. FPIC would allow commu­ nities to negotiate a mutually satisfactory arrangement with a company or government. It is a process that would start long before mining operations commence, and that would not end as long as the operations continue.

Katanga Calling 5 Lubumbashi, with the old Gécamines factory, its mountainous slagheap, and a

new cobalt factory in the foreground. Gwenn Dubourthoumieu

Mining sectors

For lack of other livelihood opportunities, thousands of Congolese resort to small-scale mining.

Mining in Katanga takes place in both the formal and informal sectors, and the two oft en interact. Cobalt and Arti sanal mining copper mined informally is also processed in the refi neries It is esti mated that up to 20-30 million people in of the industrial business networks. According to the Min­ the developing world practi se arti sanal or small- istry of Mines, the industrial mining sector in Katanga has scale mining. The sector supports three to fi ve ti mes created 40,000 jobs. It is esti mated that a further 500,000 more people indirectly. Arti sanal or small-scale min- people are working as arti sanal miners in the province. ing is characterised by low levels of mechanisati on, unknown quanti ti es of ore deposits, few safety stan- dards, poorly qualifi ed personnel and low producti v- ity. Arti sanal mining is oft en undertaken informally or illegally, and with litt le considerati on of environ- mental impacts. The unemployed and underemployed in poor countries are increasingly resorti ng to such practi ces because to them it is a livelihood opportu- nity. Minerals become ‘the natural resource of last resort’, and off er a more secure income than farming. Source: ILO, IIED

6 Katanga Calling Gwenn Dubourthoumieu Young children at work in Kipushi, Katanga.

In Katanga, arti sanal mining exists in both formal and Informal arti sanal mining takes place irregularly in undes- informal setti ngs. Many mining companies source the ores ignated areas, but also within the concessions of mining for their processing factories from arti sanal sources, rather companies. The police occasionally expel the illegal min­ than developing their own concessions industrially, which ers from the concessions, and these evicti ons someti mes would require major investments. result in violent riots. To avoid social tensions, the authori­ ti es may turn a blind eye to the irregular mining acti viti es. Formal arti sanal mining takes place in designated zones, managed by ‘cooperati ves’. These cooperati ves are sup- posed to further the interests of the miners, but in prac­ ti ce they consist of powerful local businessmen and politi - cians. They oft en deploy armed soldiers on site to ensure that miners, who have to sell their enti re producti on at a fi xed, usually below-market price to the ‘cooperati ve’, do not take their producti on elsewhere to get a bett er price.

Katanga Calling 7 Cobalt in the Electronics Supply Chain

Mine Negociants Trader Smelter Refiner/ Manufacturer Manufacturer Electronic Processor of of batteries Product components Comptoirs and storage disks

This visual is not intended to be a complete representation of the supply chain. Source: EICC/GeSI/Resolve

Cobalt: A most valuable by-product

Cobalt is an essential ingredient of rechargeable batteries for mobile devices and electric cars.

Cobalt is mostly produced as a by-product of copper and The growing demand for cobalt is mostly driven by the nickel mining activities. The DRC is estimated to harbour increased demand for rechargeable li-ion batteries, which half of the world’s cobalt reserves of 7 million tonnes. now accounts for more than 40 percent of cobalt produc­ Most of the unrefined cobalt ores are exported for refin­ tion. An average li-ion battery containing cobalt consists ing. China is the world’s largest producer of cobalt, import­ of 60 percent of the mineral by weight. The batteries are ing almost all of its cobalt raw material from the DRC. used in devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops. The increasing popularity of electric vehicles will also add Cobalt is used as a chemical catalyst, for example in the to the growing demand for cobalt. The batteries of these production of PET bottles and packaging, for crude oil cars contain 2 to 8 kilos of cobalt each. refining and to process coal gas into liquid fuel.

8 Katanga Calling DraGonimaGes between thecompanies involved. Research by SOMO nisms andbindingregulati on,creati nga level playingfi eld They needtobeaccompanied by enforceable mecha­ ti ves, laudableasthey may be,bringsmall changes at best. The pasttwenty years have shown that voluntary initi a- they are buying. transparency and responsible practi ces from thebrands even thoughconsumers are increasingly demandingsuch sources of thecobalt andother minerals intheir products, However, very few companies are transparent aboutthe Fairphone isEurope’s fastest-growing techstartup. towards a100percent responsibly­sourced smartphone. dam­based socialenterprise Fairphone, which is working in their supply chain. An inspiringexample isthe Amster­ their responsibiliti esin relati ontothe extracti on of metals Some players within theelectronics industry are aware of is mostlystillfaraway. Transparency abouttheoriginofcobaltusedinelectronics Fair devices? any basic standard. ti on,threats tobiodiversity, and working conditi onsbelow rounding cobalt extracti onin Katanga: air and water pollu- The following pages summarise thecontroversies sur­ Bas vanAbel,Fairphone products.” a marketforethicalelectronic wallets. Theyshowthatthere is “Consumers havevotedwiththeir to dosoby theUSDodd-Frank Act. origins of potenti al confl ictminerals if they were obliged shows that mostEuropean companies only disclosethe Cobalt isused in rechargeable batt eries for smartphones, laptops andelectriccars. Katanga Calling 9 10 provided by Unicef. a ruinousstate andtheonly local water pumpshave been Meanwhile, theNGOreports, theschoolbuildingsare in chief, disguised asacontribution for buildingaschool.” centre, andacontribution of 1,000USdollarstothelocal a football, renovation of the ceilings of aprivate health work by thecompany consisted of someschoolfurniture, villages concerned found that “theonly proof of social A monitoringteamof Premicongo checkinguponthe A football as“social work” Communities are leftinthe darkaboutminingplansontheirterritory Never consulted operations. they have never beenconsulted or informed aboutthese and cobalt factory. According tothelocalcommunities, in theMyunga forest andprocessing itsore inacopper Basse Kando, where aChinese-owned company ismining the villages surrounding Kisanfu, inthenorthernpartof ing companies move in.One of themany examples isin Local communities are often caught off guard whenmin

Katanga Calling

­ Premicongo the company.” compared tobefore thearrivalof “The communityisworseoff now ties that the workers from outsideenjoy. They are not allowed tousethefood andtransport facili job with thecompany report beingdiscriminated against. from elsewhere. Local people who domanage toget a employment, asthecompany mostly bringsin workers even enjoy any benefits from itsoperations interms of consent tothecompany entering thearea. They donot Around Kisanfu, not only didthelocalcommunities never Employment named Didonamed Kasongo he while wasatsleeping home. a village was bulldozed, sweeping away a villager In Kawama, near theLuswichi industrialmine, ­

Gwenn Dubourthoumieu Gwenn Dubourthoumieu from coughing andpulmonary diseasesappearstobe Premicongo notes that theamount of peoplesuffering years before theplant was built. however, theKamatanda quarter was established many lowed. According totheCongolese NGOPremicongo, tory was there first,andthat the residential quarters fol­ The Groupe Bazano management maintains that thefac dry season,thehousesare inundated with dust. roads are churnedinto mudby allthetraffic. Duringthe there hasbeennosolutionsince. In the rainy season,the in 2009 with arequest toresolve thesituation, butthat naces. Residents claimthat they approached thecompany the company's traffic, as wellassmoke from theplant fur Inhabitants of thearea complain aboutdustcaused by located in theresidential quarter of Kamatanda. metallurgic plant, in which ores are treated with heat, is has beenoperating asmeltingplant since 2007. The pyro­ In thetown of Likasi,theGroupe Bazano miningcompany The furnacesofore-processing factoriespollutetheairofKatanga'scities The air we breathe each year, representing 9percent of the world market. in the world. The plant produces 5,000tonnesof cobalt The GTL’s furnace inLubumbashi isthesecond largest ­ ­ Chemaf factory’s chimneys inLubumbashi A resident commentsonthesmokefrom the children andtheelderly.” people sick,especially amongthe and thesmokehasmadesome plants; theleavesfalloff ourtrees “The smokeoftendriesour the Chemaf miningcompany there, includingair pollution. communities are facingnumerous impacts of operations by elsewhere inKatanga. In Lubumbashi, for example, local Unfortunately, comparable casesof severe air pollution exist Groupe Bazano inLikasi. ed toatmospheric pollutioncaused by theoperations of to establish whether thesesymptoms are directly relat­ seems tohave declined.But Premicongo lacksthemeans increasing inthearea. The productivity of fruittrees also

Katanga Calling 11 12 capacity of Congolese state authorities. Kando reserve isasymptom of the weak governance concludes, the presence of miningcompanies in theBasse by miningactivities. Asthe Congolese NGO Premicongo ed areas intheDRC, includingBasse Kando, were invaded structures intheDRC rapidly deteriorated. Many protect After 1998,theend of President Mobutu’s regime, state Weak governance disappearance ofelephants,hipposandotherendangered species. The invasionofthenature reserve byminingcompanieshasledtothe The tragedy of Basse Kando years. DR Congo have beengranting concessions for thearea for 1957. Despite itsprotected status, miningauthoritiesin Kando area hasbeenlistedasaprotected reserve since In Congo’s districtof Kolwezi, theBasse Kando or Lower

Katanga Calling

­ today. 400 in2003,hasbeenreduced tojust50hippopotamuses bia. The hippopotamus population, amounting toabout these species. The remaining elephants migrated to Zam­ mining companies hasledtothedisappearance of mostof a variety of plant species. The invasion of thereserve by elephants,CITES: hippos, blackantelope, rock hyraxes and tion, some of whichare listedasendangered species by to many wildlife speciesprotected by Congolese legisla­ Until theearly 2000s,the Basse Kando reserve was home essentially destroying the reserve. for exploration; conducting drilling,clearing forests, and Tenke Fungurume Mining, Semex andSomika moved in In Basse Kando, companies includingtheGroupe Bazano, not safe from miningactivities. Congo’s protected areas are

Reuters/ Finbarr O’Reilly Jonathan heGer (ICCN) Congolais pourlaConservationdeNature Felix MbayoLukasuWa Kabulo,Institut danger tothe protected areas.” “This situationconstitutesa include elephants andhippos. Species under threat from miningoperati ons [P 12LINKS -] ing andMetals, of which Freeport­McMoran isamember. formance establishedby theInternati onal Council on Min- ti onand conti nuousimprovement of environmental per- McMoran as well theprinciplesof biodiversity conserva­ self­proclaimed policiesof the mother company Freeport­ compliance with DRC law. What ismore, PDCignores the area. The company maintains that itsresearch permit isin Dodge deniesthat itsconcession islocated inaprotected corporati on Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold. Phelps Dodge Company (PDC),asubsidiary of themulti nati onal One of thecompanies operati ngin Basse Kando is Phelps Compliant? Katanga Calling 13 14 polluti on of the Kafubu river. panies suchasSomika andCMSKare contributi ngtothe The Congolese NGOPremicongo concluded that com- used asaneffluent drain by various miningcompanies. resumed in2005,theKafubu river hasbeenincreasingly However, since miningoperati onsintheprovince were fruit and vegetables toneighbouringurbanareas. The farmslocated inthis valley are themainsuppliersof hood. They obtained water from wells dugalongtheriver. relied ongardening andarti sanal shing forfi their liveli- ing inthemany villages alongtheriver have traditi onally Lubumbashi, hasalways beengreen. The populati onsliv- The Kafubu valley, southeastof theprovince's capital Effl uents ofore-processing factoriesturnriversintotoxicdrains Theof wastedwaters Kafubu near the village of Kisanfu. A young girlcollecti ng water

Katanga Calling

part of Kipushicity andLubumbashi town. into theKafubu river, which runsthrough the southern stances. Effluents from theplant inKipushiare released ing: theprocess of separati ngsolublefrom insolublesub- mine are transported toKipushifor processing by leach­ deposit inLuswichi, near Lubumbashi. The ores from the sidiary of Gécamines, hasbeenminingacopper andcobalt The Compagnie Minière duSud Katanga (CMSK), asub- Luswichi

GeorGes senGa also thelivelihoods of theriverside communiti es. the Kafubu valley not only destroys itsbiodiversity, but out of water, asif they were suff ocati ng. Thepolluti on of In fi shponds, shdie whilestrugglingtoholdtheirfi heads put inboiling water. vegetables react to water from theriver as if they were According tothe Congolese monitoringNGOPremicongo, become impossible to water them duringthedry season. Vegetable crops cannot beproduced any more, asithas unsuitable for consumpti onandhasabadtastesmell. sistent, disgusti ngsmell. Water from wells hasbecome river, the whole Kafubu valley isdominated by aper­ Because of theminingcompanies’ waste dumpinginthe discharges from thefactory. potenti ally dangerous chemical populati on complain about Lubumbashi.local The stored intheChemaf factory, hazardous substances are Tanks of environmentally

Gwenn Dubourthoumieu Premicongo worry about.” this situationhavenothing to other companiesresponsible for been compensated,andseveral legislation, manyvictimshavenot “Because ofshortcomingsinthe Kolwezi district. in other places, includingtributariesof theCongo river in ways. Premicongo hasfound comparable negati ve impacts es where miningoperati ons have severely polluted water- Unfortunately, theKafubu valley isjustoneof many plac- Katanga Calling 15 16 ti ve’s representati ves. Peaceful empts bythe workersatt from therisingprice of copper have beenthecoopera­ mining at thislocati on. The only ones who have profi ted ti me,they have no other choice if they want to conti nue producti onandcannot invest intheir future. At thesame Under theseconditi ons,theminersdonot profi t from their Shooti ngs are commonphenomena. Child labourandunhealthy, dangerous workingconditions Exploited labour sells ittoaChinese-owned group. ducti on at a xedpricefi tothe cooperati ve, whichthen politi cians. The minersare obliged tosell their enti re pro- cooperati ve, whichismanaged by local businessmenand In reality, noagricultural acti viti es are undertaken by the paring for theti me aft er themineisdepleted andclosed. to invest miningprofi tsin agriculture, asameans of pre- arti sanal mining cooperati ve. The cooperati veissupposed si. Parts of alarge miningarea there are managed by an source their ores from arti sanalminers working near Lika- Several miningcompanies, someof themChinese-owned,

Katanga Calling

Premicongo artisanal minersinsemi-slavery.” “The systeminplace here keepsthe research by theNGOBread for All hasfound. conditi ons,illnessesare rampant amongtheseminers, landslides andcollapsing tunnels.Due totheunhygienic pits. These canbeupto80metres deep, with therisk of They oft en work withoutsafety measures indangerous gerous conditi ons for theminers,known ascreuseurs. Katanga’s mining sitesoft eninvolve childlabour anddan- Additi onal research hasshown that labour conditi onsin Dangers at with live ammuniti on. Several of themdiedasa result. have resulted inarrests, andeven intheminersbeingshot to demandafair remunerati onand respect for their rights each day washing andsorti ngthe Children spendaround tenhours ore in water andmud.

Gwenn Dubourthoumieu Congolese students in a school built by mining company Eurasian Resources

Gwenn Dubourthoumieu Gwenn Dubourthoumieu Group, Sakania, Katanga.

Towards a hopeful perspecti ve

It’s time for mining companies to walk the talk.

The stories about the mines and processing plants above Land-grabbing, the destructi on of livelihoods, discrimina- are only a few of the cases in Katanga where human rights ti on and the exploitati on of workers are widespread. are violated and the environment is harmed. There are At the same ti me, access to basic human needs such as also well known abuses at locati ons such as the Tenke clean water and air, and ferti le soils for crops, appears to Fungurume copper and cobalt mine between Likasi and be impeded rather than enabled by the arrival of the min­ Kolwezi, the Ruashi copper and cobalt mine near Lubum- ing companies. bashi, and many more. Access to electricity and educati on, where available, is It seems the rule rather than the excepti on that min- oft en thanks to humanitarian agencies rather than the ing operati ons in the DRC, aimed at sourcing the miner- mining companies. Unfortunately, the situati on on the als that are essenti al to the producti on of electronics and ground oft en has litt le in common with the fi ne words chemical catalysts, are characterised by a lack of transpar­ found in the corporate social responsibility guidelines and ency and a lack of compliance with Congolese and inter- reports of the mining companies. nati onal regulati ons and guidelines on responsible mining.

Katanga Calling 17 Miners (‘creuseurs’) discussing

their situation with Fairphone. Fairphone

From conflict-free to responsible mining

Best practices need to be accompanied by legislation, collective action is required.

In the DRC, as in many other developing countries, weak Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) on more responsible tin governance means that national and local governments mining in Indonesia. fail to enforce legislation aimed at protecting their citizens and the environment. This makes it only more important Best practices can be found, but a very limited num­ that mineral traders and companies further down the sup­ ber of companies obtain their minerals from these more ply chain take responsibility for the impacts of cobalt min­ responsible sources. The past twenty years have shown ing. Rather than merely continuing to take advantage of that voluntary initiatives, laudable as they may be, bring low prices and weak implementation of laws, they ought small changes at best. They need to be accompanied by to work towards a phase-out of all abuses in the sector. enforceable mechanisms and binding regulation, creat­ ing a level playing field between companies using these Hopeful prospects minerals. Many major international brands and NGOs have been involved in establishing conflict free mining activities in Business case the African Great Lakes region. Other organisations have Mandatory transparency on the origin of minerals would worked hard to set up responsible small-scale gold mining. make a great difference, to the benefit of local communi­ EarthWorks in the USA is organising sustainable large- ties and environmental protection. It would force a busi­ scale gold mining in collaboration with jewellery pro­ ness case for responsible sourcing instead of sourcing for ducers. Friends of the Earth is working with electronics the lowest possible price. It would make those who are brands such as Samsung, Philips and Apple and the Dutch lagging behind aware of their impacts on human rights

18 Katanga Calling Arti sanal miners climb the mine dump of Lubumbashi. This 14 million tonnes of slags

Gwenn Dubourthoumieu Gwenn Dubourthoumieu sti ll contain strong contents of cobalt.

and the environment. Transparency would also enable Beyond 3TG companies to identi fy risks to their reputati on, and tackle Existi ng and widely-accepted normati ve standards such these by taking genuine acti on. In short, transparency is as the United Nati ons Guiding Principles on Business & essenti al to developing responsible sourcing practi ces. Human Rights, and the OECD Due Diligence Guidance provide a useful basis upon which regulatory frameworks Environment and human rights can be based. The European Commission's proposed regulati on on responsible sourcing of the confl ict minerals tungsten, Future regulatory frameworks ought to be fl exible enough tantalum, ti n and gold (‘3TG’) can be an answer to some to cover other resources, like copper and cobalt, that are of the most distressing human rights violati ons in confl ict frequently imported by European companies and that may and high risk areas – if it makes transparency mandatory be linked to confl ict, human rights abuses and environ- throughout the supply chain. mental impact. Current mining practi ces require drasti c change and collecti ve acti on. However, a lot more needs to be done in terms of envi- ronmental protecti on, workers’ rights and meaningful Let’s make it happen. development for communiti es. Governments, companies and civil society need to collaborate on this.

Katanga Calling 19 20 Katanga Calling Friends of the Earth Netherlands (Milieu­defensie) – a Dutch NGO with 84,000 members and supporters – advocates a sustainable, unpolluted world in which the capacity of the earth is respected and benefits the entire world population. Sufficient resources, energy and nature should remain available for future gen­ erations, with a fair distribution of available ‘environmental space’ among all.

The Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) is an indepen­ dent, not-for-profit research and network organisation working on social, eco­ logical and economic issues related to sustainable development. Since 1973, the organisation has investigated multinational corporations and the consequences of their activities for people and the environment around the world.

The GoodElectronics Network brings together networks, organisations and individuals who are concerned about human rights, including labour rights, and sustainability issues in the global electronics supply chain, including but not lim­ ited to trade unions, grassroots organisations, campaigning and research organ­ isations, academia and activists.

Actions Contre l’Impunité pour les Droits de l’Homme (ACIDH, Action Against Impunity for Human Rights) is a human rights defence organisation based in Lubumbashi, DRC. ACIDH works in the fields of democracy and international penal law, and on economic, social and cultural rights.

PREMICONGO is an NGO working to protect the Miombo woodlands in Katan­ ga province, DRC. It educates actors across various sectors in the DRC to fight against environmental degradation and establish a healthy balance between productivity and environmental conservation. Its activities include monitor­ ing and evaluating the conduct of mining companies in Katanga with respect to environmental norms.

Katanga Calling 21 Trucks carrying ore from an industrial copper mine,

Sakania, Katanga. Gwenn Dubourthoumieu