[{"command":"settings","settings":{"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","suppressDeprecationErrors":true,"ajaxPageState":{"libraries":"core\/picturefill,entity_embed\/caption,views\/views.ajax,views\/views.module","theme":"hrw_design","theme_token":null},"ajaxTrustedUrl":[],"views":{"ajax_path":"\/views\/ajax","ajaxViews":{"views_dom_id:blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__302119__en":{"view_name":"blog_live_feed","view_display_id":"blog_body_block","view_args":"302119","view_path":"\/blog\/content\/302119","view_base_path":null,"view_dom_id":"blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__302119__en","pager_element":0}}},"user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"0ae5601d8790ff50fca3cf23b9ac9170285f2f75823ebdc8d9cc054bc03a679b"}},"merge":true},{"command":"add_css","data":"\u003Clink rel=\u0022stylesheet\u0022 media=\u0022all\u0022 href=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/css\/css_reI-6YIYy-k9pvxm-gaCRrn5cSrTZRtyAMrp4YXDUJw.css\u0022 \/\u003E\n"},{"command":"add_js","selector":"body","data":[{"src":"\/sites\/default\/files\/js\/js_VkK39bvB4H6LLVemwPFz8QWcUMTFqZ3FFo_LBVv_4vs.js"}]},{"command":"insert","method":"replaceWith","selector":".js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__302119__en","data":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__302119__en\u0022\u003E\n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022blog-block__content__description rich-text pt-6 mb:pt-10 mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EThe United States may no longer require companies to disclose sources for gold and other potential \u201cconflict minerals\u201d \u2013 a move with potentially dire consequences for mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tMichael Piwowar, the acting chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), took expansive action on Friday to \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-usa-sec-conflictminerals-idUSKBN1792WX\u0022\u003Esuspend enforcement\u003C\/a\u003E of the auditing requirements linked to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2017\/02\/09\/us-dont-suspend-conflict-minerals-rule\u0022\u003EDodd-Frank Section 1502\u003C\/a\u003E. While it is unclear whether Piwowar could unilaterally make this move, it could effectively suspend enforcement of an important rule requiring companies to disclose sources for minerals they use, a critical step taken to combat the trade in conflict minerals that enrich abusive armed groups. In February, the Trump administration had \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/politics\/articles\/2017-02-03\/trump-to-halt-obama-fiduciary-rule-order-review-of-dodd-frank\u0022\u003Ethreatened\u003C\/a\u003E to suspend or revoke the rule entirely.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed\u0022 data-type=\u0022image\u0022\u003E\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed align-right embedded-entity embedded-entity-type-media embedded-entity-bundle-image embedded-entity-viewmode-embeddable embed--right\u0022\u003E\n \n\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \n \n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\u0022figure figure--expand text-center\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__media relative inline-block mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ca href=\u0022\/modal\/31516\u0022 rel=\u0022modal:open\u0022 class=\u0022figure__link\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cimg srcset=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/480w\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/2017-04-drc-africa-business-arvind-us-senate.png?itok=P7qduF1R 480w, \/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/2017-04-drc-africa-business-arvind-us-senate.png?itok=ZPzoJ_hF 850w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(max-width: 524px) 100px, 500px\u0022 data-responsive-image-style=\u0022embedded_images\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/2017-04-drc-africa-business-arvind-us-senate.png?itok=ZPzoJ_hF\u0022 width=\u0022850\u0022 height=\u0022476\u0022 alt=\u0022Arvind Ganesan, Business \u0026amp; Human Rights director at Human Rights Watch, testifies in front of the US Senate on April 5, 2017. \u0022 loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 typeof=\u0022foaf:Image\u0022 \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__expand absolute block bottom-0 right-0 w-8 h-8 bg-white text-gray-700\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022sr-only\u0022\u003EClick to expand Image\u003C\/span\u003E\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022icon fill-current w-full inline-block\u0022\u003E\n \u003Csvg viewbox=\u00220 0 20 20\u0022 fill=\u0022currentColor\u0022 role=\u0022img\u0022 focusable=\u0022false\u0022 aria-hidden=\u0022true\u0022\u003E\u003Cuse xlink:href=\u0022\/themes\/custom\/hrw_design\/dist\/app-drupal\/assets\/spritemap.svg?cacheBuster=#sprite-expand\u0022\u003E\u003C\/use\u003E\u003C\/svg\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/a\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022figure__info text-left font-serif text-xs md:text-sm lg:text-base mx-auto text-gray-700 mt-1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__caption\u0022\u003EArvind Ganesan, Business \u0026amp; Human Rights director at Human Rights Watch, testifies in front of the US Senate on April 5, 2017.\u00a0\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__credit\u0022\u003E\u00a9 Human Rights Watch\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tAs my colleague \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/about\/people\/arvind-ganesan\u0022\u003EArvind Ganesan\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2017\/04\/05\/human-rights-watch-testimony-senate-foreign-affairs-committee-subcommittee-african\u0022\u003Etestified\u003C\/a\u003E at a US Senate hearing last week, this action would send exactly the wrong message to actors in\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/africa\/democratic-republic-congo\u0022\u003E Congo\u003C\/a\u003E. The country is mired in a deep political and human rights crisis due to the failure to organize elections before the end of President Joseph Kabila\u2019s constitutionally mandated two-term limit in December 2016. After significant pressure from the international community \u2013 including targeted US \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2016\/12\/16\/dr-congo-profiles-individuals-sanctioned-eu-and-us\u0022\u003Esanctions\u003C\/a\u003E against top officials and other strong measures backed by the US Congress \u2013 President Kabila made some important concessions in an end-of-the year \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/blog-feed\/democratic-republic-congo-crisis#blog-298259\u0022\u003Edeal\u003C\/a\u003E mediated by the Catholic Church. Yet implementation of the deal has \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/blog-feed\/democratic-republic-congo-crisis#blog-299587\u0022\u003Estalled\u003C\/a\u003E, as violence between militia groups and the Congolese security forces have escalated in many parts of the country, along with an alarming increase in human rights violations.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tSuspending enforcement of the SEC rule sends a strong signal that the US is downgrading respect for human rights as a priority in US policy towards Congo. This could make it easier for abusive armed groups, factions of the security forces, and other opaque mafia-like networks allegedly linked to government officials to return to the lucrative mines in eastern Congo to finance their activities. This could spark new security problems throughout the volatile region.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tProminent US companies such as Intel, Apple, Tiffany, and Warren Buffett\u2019s Richline Jewelers support Dodd-Frank 1502. They have invested a lot of time and money over the past five years to comply, and want to act responsibly. Eliminating 1502 would put them at a competitive disadvantage against less responsible companies.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tThis is a unique situation where major American companies, human rights groups, and many Congolese civil society organizations all want 1502 to stay. But the Trump administration doesn\u2019t. The administration should consider those views and stop trying to get rid of 1502 when it should be supporting responsible companies and looking at holistic approaches to keeping conflict mineral revenues out of the hands of abusive armed groups.\u003C\/div\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n","settings":null}]