The DRC is a vast, mineral-rich nation with an estimated population of about 75 million people and an area that is roughly one-quarter the size of the United States, according to the UN. The map in figure 1 shows the DRC’s provinces and adjoining countries. Since its independence in 1960, the DRC has undergone political upheaval, including a civil war, according to State. In particular, the eastern DRC has continued to be plagued by violence often perpetrated by illegal armed groups and some members of the Congolese national military against civilians. In November 2012, M-23, an illegal armed group, occupied the city of Goma and other cities in eastern DRC and clashed with the Congolese national army. During this time, the UN reported numerous cases of sexual violence against civilians, including women and children, that were perpetrated by armed groups and some members of the Congolese national military. Although M-23 eventually withdrew from the cities, the group’s presence in the region continued. In December 2012, the Ugandan president began to broker peace talks, known as the Kampala Dialogue, between M-23 and the DRC government, aimed at reaching a final and principled agreement that ensured the disarmament and demobilization of M-23 and accountability for human rights abuses. The M-23 was defeated in November 2013 by the Congolese national military with support from UN forces. In December 2013, the former M-23 and the DRC each signed individual declarations that, among other things, set out the conditions for the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of M23 into Congolese society and called for those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity to be held accountable. Prior to the defeat of M-23, in February 2013, the 11 countries in the region adopted the “Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region.” Some of the adjoining countries in the region have also experienced recent turmoil, which has led to flows of large numbers of refugees into the DRC in addition to internally displaced persons. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated, as of mid 2013, that there were close to 50,000 refugees from the Central African Republic, in addition to over 120,000 refugees from other countries, as well as around 2.6 million internally displaced persons living in camps or with host families in the DRC. Congress has focused on issues related to the DRC for almost a decade. In 2006, Congress passed the Democratic Republic of Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act of 2006, stating that U.S policy is to engage with governments working for peace and security throughout the DRC and hold accountable individuals, entities, and countries working to destabilize the government. In July 2010, Congress passed the Dodd- Frank Act, which included several provisions in section 1502 of the Act concerning conflict minerals in the DRC and adjoining countries. The Act directs State, USAID, SEC, and Commerce to take steps on matters related to the implementation of those provisions (see text box). Provisions in the Dodd-Frank Act Related to Conflict Minerals in the DRC and Adjoining Countries Section 1502(a) states that “it is the sense of the Congress that the exploitation and trade of conflict minerals originating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is helping to finance conflict characterized by extreme levels of violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, particularly sexual- and gender-based violence, and contributing to an emergency humanitarian situation therein, warranting the provisions of section 13(p) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as added by subsection (b).” Section 1502(b) requires SEC, in consultation with State, to promulgate disclosure and reporting regulations regarding the use of conflict minerals from DRC and adjoining countries. Section 1502(c) requires State and USAID to develop, among other things, a strategy to address the linkages among human rights abuses, armed groups, the mining of conflict minerals, and commercial products. Section 1502(d) requires that Commerce report, among other things, a listing of all known conflict minerals processing facilities worldwide. In addition, in July 2013, the United States appointed the current Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region and the DRC, whose office develops and leads the implementation of U.S. regional policy on cross-border security, political, economic and social issues. The Special Envoy leads U.S. efforts to support the implementation of the Peace, Security, and Cooperation Framework Agreement, including the development and implementation of a comprehensive strategy to stop human suffering and violence in the region, by promoting political, economic, and social reconciliation. In 1999, the UN Security Council authorized peacekeeping operations in the DRC, known as the UN Organization Mission in Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC). MONUC’s mission included achieving a ceasefire and protecting civilians and other nonmilitary personnel from threats of physical violence. In 2010, MONUC was replaced by the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), whose priorities also include protecting civilians and stabilizing the country. The international community has also responded to the conflict in the DRC and adjoining countries by appointing special envoys to the region. For example, in March 2013, the UN appointed a Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region to support the implementation of the 11-nation Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region. According to the UN, the envoy’s key tasks include undertaking good offices to strengthen the relations between the signatories of the framework, revitalizing existing accords and coordinating the international engagement. objectives of the new force based in North Kivu province are to neutralize armed groups, reduce the threat they pose to state authority and civilian security, and make space for stabilization activities. In addition, the European Union (EU) is exploring possible legislation related to conflict minerals and responsible sourcing. European Commission release, in March 2014, the EU proposed a draft regulation setting up an EU system of self-certification for importers of tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold for imports into the EU. The draft regulation indicated that the self-certification would align with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) “OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas,” which includes a five-step framework for risk-based due diligence in the supply chain. According to the release, the regulation gives EU importers an opportunity to deepen ongoing efforts to ensure clean supply chains when trading legitimately with operators in conflict-affected countries. Canada also has a proposed conflict minerals initiative. According to State, Canada’s Conflict Minerals Act was reintroduced for discussion in the Canadian parliament in April 2014 and would require Canadian companies to exercise due diligence in respect of the exploitation and trading of designated conflict minerals originating in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. Uses of Conflict Minerals Various industries, particularly manufacturing industries, use the four conflict minerals in a wide variety of products. For example, tin is used to solder metal pieces and is also found in food packaging, in steel coatings on automobile parts, and in some plastics. Most tantalum is used to manufacture tantalum capacitors, which enable energy storage in electronic products such as cell phones and computers as well as used to produce alloy additives, which can be found in turbines in jet engines. Tungsten is used in automobile manufacturing, drill bits and cutting tools, and other industrial manufacturing tools and is the primary component of filaments in light bulbs. Gold is used as reserves and in jewelry and is also used by the electronics industry. Supply chains for companies using tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold generally begin at the mine site, where ore is extracted from the ground with mechanized or artisanal mining techniques. However, these supply chains can be complex and vary considerably, according to some industry association and company representatives. For example, as figure 2 shows, in the “upstream” segment of the supply chain—that is, from mine to smelter—ore may be purchased by a local processor or trader and then by an exporter, who ships it to a smelter for refinement; in other cases, the ore may be sold directly to an exporter. The “downstream” segments of conflict mineral supply chains—that is, from smelter to manufacturer—may vary as well, depending in part on the type of mineral. Figure 2 provides a simplified depiction of the supply chain for the four conflict minerals. Smelters and refiners are considered the “choke points” in the supply chain, since a limited number of smelters and refiners process conflict minerals worldwide and the origin of the minerals after processing can be difficult to verify. Smelters primarily provide high-purity tin, tantalum, and tungsten directly to component parts manufacturers, although some sell high-purity metals through traders or exchanges. Gold refiners typically sell high-purity gold to banks for use as a store of value or to international exchanges where gold is bought and sold, although some refiners sell gold directly to manufacturers; banks and traders may also sell gold to manufacturers, including jewelry and component parts manufacturers. Component parts manufacturers use the refined tin, tantalum, tungsten, or gold to construct individual parts—such as capacitors, engine parts, or clasps for necklaces—that they sell to original equipment manufacturers. The original equipment manufacturers complete the final assembly of a product and sell the final product to the consumer.