Written Testimony Before the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy Hearing On “A Progress Report on Conflict Minerals”
...[My] testimony today will share our perspectives on three key points for lawmakers to consider:
• Expand existing diplomatic efforts to drive peace, security, and governance in Central Africa;
• Maintain U.S. leadership on sourcing transparency to support private sector progress in Central Africa and avoid unintended economic and political outcomes; and
• Consider removing the requirements of Section 1502 that have increased costs and burdens while failing to promote progress in the region.
[Additional] major themes:
First, ITI members recognize that the private sector has a defined role to play in helping drive transparency and responsible sourcing efforts throughout global supply chains, and we have embraced that responsibility through our public commitments and concrete actions...
Second, during congressional negotiations on this issue in 2009 and 2010, there was strong bipartisan support for the United States to take a more active role to confront the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Central Africa...
[Other key points:]
Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act has had mixed success in cutting off funding to armed groups in the DRC and reducing violence in the region...
Section 1502 has generated unintended consequences that have detracted from the provision’s effectiveness...