News item | 24-10-2012
With the first bags of conflict-free tin leaving the mine
in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, on 24
October the Conflict-Free Tin Initiative (CFTI) has
officially started. This marks the beginning of the flow
of minerals through a controlled supply chain outside the
reach of armed groups.
New prospects
Dutch Minister for Development Cooperation Ben Knapen:
'After years of exclusion from international trade and the
resulting mass unemployment among miners the CFTI has
allowed one of the mines in South Kivu to restart
operations. This first bag of conflict-free tin brings us
one step closer to new prospects for a conflict-ridden
region with many wrongs to make right.'
Traceability system
The mine has been validated as conflict-free by a
multistakeholder team including officials of the DRC
Government, the United Nations, the German Geological
Service (BGR), the local project manager of the ITRI Tin
Supply Chain Initiative (iTSCi), representatives of local
business and civil society. This is the first step in the
pilot. A robust traceability system, the iTSCi Programme,
has been put in place by the field teams of Pact, a
nongovernmental organization. There are at least 6 levels
in this supply chain from mine to end-user, all of which
are needed to make this pilot project a success.
Neutral broker
The Netherlands Government is the neutral broker that
brought the partners along the supply chain together, from
mine to smelter to end-user. The industry partners
participating in the CFTI pilot consist of Royal Philips
Electronics, Tata Steel, Motorola Solutions, Fairphone, HP,
Research In Motion (RIM), Alpha, AIM Metals & Alloys,
Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad (MSC), Traxys, ITRI
and the local exporters and mining cooperatives. Also, the
United States and the South African Government through the
Department of Trade and Industry's Regional Spatial
Development Initiatives Program (RSDIP) are involved in the
establishment of the CFTI.
Commitment
While celebrating the accomplishments so far, Minister
Knapen realises there are no guarantees for future success:
'Progress will depend on continued strong industry
commitment as well as developments in the security
situation in South Kivu. I call on all parties involved to
keep up the good work and on others to join.'
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