April 5, 2013 – April 12, 2013
The summaries provided in this Weekly Recap do not necessarily represent the views of Squire Sanders (US) LLP and should not be deemed to be endorsements of them. The Recap is intended to be a compilation of articles and events to encourage discussion within the conflict minerals community and to keep our readers updated on the most recent developments.
Delphi Automotive Position Statement – Conflict Minerals Policy
Delphi, a self-described leading global supplier of electronics and technologies for automotive, commercial vehicle and other market segments, recently released a conflict minerals policy. Excerpts from the policy follow. “Delphi supports an industry-wide approach to addressing social responsibility matters. The company supports these efforts through the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) and the Conflict-Free Smelter (CFS) Program developed by the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition, Incorporated (EICC) and Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI). In order to comply with the SEC Conflict Mineral (sic) rules, Delphi will request its suppliers to disclose the sources of Conflict Minerals used in their products. As part of our efforts to ensure sourcing of conflict-free goods, we are surveying our global supply chain to identify measures being taken by our suppliers to track the source of minerals used in products manufactured at their facilities.”
To read the complete conflict minerals policy, please see Delphi – Conflict Minerals Policy.
Squire Sanders’ Weekly Recaps Identified By EBN as Conflict Minerals Legal Resource
Peter Buxbaum, an independent technology journalist, recently wrote an article in EBN, providing an overview of the web resources available to companies in assisting them in their compliance with the conflict minerals rule. Squire Sanders’ weekly recaps were one of the few mentioned legal resources available to companies. Mr. Buxbaum states, “[t]he lawyers over at Squire Sanders issue periodic updates of developments related to the rule, including the progress of litigation attempting to overturn it.”
We want to thank Mr. Buxbaum for highlighting our weekly recaps.
Canadian Students Told Conflict Minerals Used in Cellphone Parts
On the heels of Paul Dewar’s (NDP – Canada) recently proposed conflict minerals bill, Anna MacDonald, 18, is shooting a documentary about conflict minerals and visiting high school students throughout Canada to inform them about the connection between the students’ cell phones and conflict minerals.
The CBC News reports that the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association responded that “major phone manufacturers have taken steps to ensure their suppliers source conflict-free materials.” The association specifically mentions Nokia, Samsung and Motorola.