Conflict minerals refer to minerals like
tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold etc.
mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or
its adjoining countries involved in conflicts.
The funds generated from the conflict minerals flow into the armed
forces of the subject countries, which causes not only the
slaughter of nationals but also the violation of human rights
in the midst of mining such as child labor, forced labor or abuse of women.
Amid the growing concerns worldwide, the US Congress enacted the
law which obligates the report on the use of conflict minerals
(Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act) in 2010,
and in accordance with the above-mentioned act Article 1502,
any US-listed companies are required to investigate the use and
place of origin of conflict minerals, carry out an inspection on
the supply chain and report the result to the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission(SEC).
Place of conflict : Democratic Republic of the Congo or its adjoining 9 countries