All of us are here today because of our commitment to see a definitive end to the conflict and violence that has plagued the Great Lakes region, and because we believe the PPA to be an important step toward that end. The fact of the matter is that we are staring down an intimidating set of challenges, and none of us -- in government, in the private sector, in NGOs, or other organizations -- can do it alone. This was imminently clear on my trip to Burundi and the D.R.C. last month. I saw firsthand the complex linkages between conflict minerals, human rights abuses, and the local economy.