The aim is to help stem the trade in the four minerals of tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold - otherwise referred to as 3TG – in areas that are used to finance armed conflict or where it’s mined using forced labour.
The electronics industry sources these elements for use in consumer devices and various products for aerospace and defence applications. Not only is it difficult for customers to know if a product they’ve bought is funding violence, human rights abuses or other crimes, but many third party manufacturers are unable to certify the country of origin of the minerals contained in their products. All they can do is promote the traceability of these minerals and the transparency of the supply chain to ensure their customers are informed about the products they purchase.
In the UK, The Department for International Development (DFID) and the World Bank were tasked with co-funding a mineral sector reform programme that would regulate the Democratic Republic of Congo’s minerals sector and improve conditions for workers in the region.
However, the DFID has now closed and has been replaced by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). The www.gov.uk website says the guidance page has been withdrawn as of September 2020, leaving its stance on this important topic somewhat unresolved.
So, what can we do to help? Design engineers can specify conflict-free minerals within their component selection criteria, whilst manufacturers of components using 3TG elements can enforce strict procurement and supply chain management practices that are solely dedicated to securing conflict-free minerals for their manufacturing processes - with the final objective of totally excluding conflict-sourced products.
Mike Richardson, editor