Executive Order Could Target ‘Conflict Mineral’ Rule

An unidentified miner hangs a 50 kilogram sack of tin ore on a weighing scale at the town of Mayuwano
An unidentified miner hangs a 50 kilogram sack of tin ore on a weighing scale at the town of Mayuwano, Democratic Republic of Congo in Nov. 2005. Tin, used in humble kitchen appliances and the circuit boards of high-tech electronics, has shaped the lives of people around Mayuwano, an eastern region where some of the highest quality tin ore in the world is found, according to a report by the Washington-based resource and conflict reporting group Global Witness. (AP Photo/Anjan Sundaram)
An unidentified miner hangs a 50 kilogram sack of tin ore on a weighing scale at the town of Mayuwano
An unidentified miner hangs a 50 kilogram sack of tin ore on a weighing scale at the town of Mayuwano, Democratic Republic of Congo in Nov. 2005. Tin, used in humble kitchen appliances and the circuit boards of high-tech electronics, has shaped the lives of people around Mayuwano, an eastern region where some of the highest quality tin ore in the world is found, according to a report by the Washington-based resource and conflict reporting group Global Witness. (AP Photo/Anjan Sundaram)

Executive Order Could Target ‘Conflict Mineral’ Rule

WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.

The Guardian and other news outlets have reported that a draft executive order has been prepared that proposes a two-year suspension of a Dodd-Frank rule requiring companies to disclose whether their products contain “conflict minerals.”

The law was meant to help stem the violence and conflicts that can erupt in countries that trade in these minerals, which are found in products such as cell phones and iPads.

Many companies have opposed the law while human rights groups say it’s working. Sasha Lezhnev, associate director of policy at the Enough Project, an advocacy organization, has documented the impact of the rule. He joins us to discuss his findings.