November 22, 2010
"File No. DF Title XV - Specialized Disclosures"
I am a regular donor to Mennonite Central Committee, an organization involved in humanitarian and human rights work in the Democratic Republic of Congo and elsewhere, and am very concerned about the atrocities related to confict minerals exploitation in eastern Congo.
I consider the new law requiring companies to disclose "due diligence on the source" an important step toward greater transparency and awareness among corporate buyers and those of us who are consumers of the products made from eastern Congo minerals. It must be applied seriously, with firm commitment to honest reporting.
The new law requires companies to disclose "due diligence on the source" of conflict minerals originating in the DRC. 15 U.S.C. 78m (p)(1)(A)(i). Due diligence on the source of these minerals must be defined to include a description of efforts to monitor the source of the supply chain for forms of modern slavery and other extreme violations of human rights.
Thank you for your efforts to ensure stringent compliance with respect to this law.
Judith Kingsley