Over the past decade, the U.S. and other nations have implemented programs meant to monitor and mitigate human rights abuses and armed conflict related to mining operations around the world. According to a new report co-authored by UCLA researchers, these “due diligence programs” have fostered meaningful progress in the Democratic Republic of Congo, one of the countries targeted by the initiatives.
But child labor and other violations are still taking place, UCLA reports in a press release. “Tin, tantalum and tungsten are commonly used in computers and cell phones and a wide array of other electronics,” it says. “In some countries like the DRC, those materials are designated as conflict minerals because the areas in which they’re mined are affected by armed violence—and in some cases, the violence is related to mining operations.”
