Gold, nickel, cobalt, tin and copper are among the many ingredients used to make electronic devices. Mining of these minerals often goes hand in hand with severe human rights and labour rights violations, and social and environmental abuses. Child labour, inhuman working conditions, severe degradation of water and soil, forced evictions of communities. These are just some of the problems linked to mining of minerals destined for the electronics industry.
Electronics brands have a duty to ensure that the raw materials used in their products are sourced responsibly. In recent years, the industry has made some effort to improve its record on mineral sourcing. However, most of the focus has been limited to a few conflict minerals originating from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region of Africa.
GoodElectronics and its partners insist that this is not enough. Problems associated with the mining of other minerals in other countries and regions urgently need to be addressed. We call on electronic brands, smelters and mining companies to adhere to international human rights standards and implement due diligence throughout their entire supply chains.
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