Evaluating Due Diligence Programs for Conflict Minerals

The 2010 Dodd-Frank Act requires that US-listed companies sourcing so-called “conflict minerals” from Africa’s Great Lakes region conduct due diligence. Due diligence programs (DDP), following guidelines from the OECD, provide ongoing monitoring of mineral production and processing to ensure that suppliers respect human rights and do not contribute to conflict. A decade later, we still have limited evidence about whether DDP impacts economic and security conditions. To help fill this gap, we evaluate the impacts of DDP on mining communities in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).