The OECD has issued the final Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas (in English and French) after approval by the OECD Investment Committee and the OECD Development Assistance Committee.

The OECD has issued the final Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas (in English and French) after approval by the OECD Investment Committee and the OECD Development Assistance Committee.

The Guidance has also been endorsed by the eleven member states of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) in the Lusaka Declaration adopted on 15 December 2010, which calls on companies sourcing minerals from the Great Lakes Region to comply with the Guidance and direct the ICGLR Secretariat to integrate the standards and processes of the Guidance into the six tools of the ICGLR Regional Initiative against the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources.

The United Nations Security Council resolution 1952(2010) further supported to take forward the due diligence recommendations contained in the final report of  the United Nations Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which endorses and relies on the OECD Due Diligence Guidance.

The OECD speaks of a challenging but rewarding consensus-building exercise and an inclusive process through which common ground was reached on a number of complex issues that have been discussed in the last year. This led to the development of an innovative instrument and the first example of collaborative government-backed multi-stakeholder initiative on responsible supply chains of minerals from conflict-affected and high-risk areas, according to the OECD.

The immediate next steps of this project are about including the implementation of the Guidance and the development of the Supplement on Gold and/or other Precious Metals.

The OECD is setting up a gold sub-group to provide substantive input in the development of the Gold Supplement.  Stakeholders are invited to join this gold sub-group.

A tentative planning for meetings with the gold sub-group is now proposed for late April 2011 to discuss a first draft of the Gold Supplement, as well as in late October 2011.

Background

This project responds to calls on the OECD from the international community:

  • the 2009 L’Aquila G8 Summit encouraged the OECD to co-operate with the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region and “engage with key stakeholders to further develop practical guidance for business operating in countries with weak governance”
  • the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region has asked for co-operation and assistance from the OECD to curb the illegal exploitation of natural resources
  • the 2007 G8 Heiligendamm Declaration on Growth and Responsibility in the World Economy endorses the OECD Guidelines and the OECD Risk Awareness Tool and supports their wider understanding in the mining sector
  • a UN Security Council Presidential Statement stressed the importance of the OECD Risk Awareness Tool for promoting responsible business conduct and avoiding the illegal exploitation of natural resources in countries in conflict.


This work also contributes to G20 efforts on combatting financial crimes linked to the exploitation of natural resources. The project is being carried out by the OECD Investment Committee in collaboration with the OECD Development Assistance Committee and non-OECD partners.

For more information, download an overview of the project (PDF)