Abstract
This article looks at soft (voluntary) and hard (mandatory) laws on due diligence and supply chain transparency in the mineral sector and the rise of multi-stakeholder initiatives or public private partnerships (PPPs) as a means to promote legal advancement and compliance. Focusing on responsible mineral supply chains, it argues that since the Human Rights Council endorsed the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in 2011, the path to regulate businesses’ behaviour turned towards mandatory legislation, whilst keeping voluntary forms of regulation. The greater call for due diligence in mineral supply chains has also been accompanied by a greater interest in PPPs to promote companies’ compliance with human rights, environmental standards and laws. The article concludes PPPs are becoming agents for legal advancement and a prominent feature in the respect and protection of human rights along supply chains, as agents of human rights advancement, legal enforcement and legal efficiency. It also emphasises that in order to succeed PPPs need the full engagement of governments of minerals’ producing countries whose role should not be limited to the mere provision of a regulatory framework, but include the creation of a supportive environment for the full implementation of due diligence.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Opinion gathered through informal conversations with two sustainability leaders working in major downstream companies.
- 2.
Personal communication with a manager in a major international organisation and a manager in an international trade association.
References
Ashman, D. (2001). Civil society collaboration with business: Bringing empowerment back. World Development, 29(7), 1097–1113.
Baumann-Pauly, D., & Nolan, J. (2016). Business and human rights from principles to practice. Oxon: Routledge.
Bäckstrand, K. (2006). Multi-stakeholder partnerships for sustainable development: Rethinking legitimacy, accountability and efficiency. European Environment, 16, 290–306.
Bernaz, N. (2017). Business and human rights. History, law and policy – Bridging the accountability gap. Oxon: Routledge.
Chinese Due Diligence Guidelines for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains. http://mneguidelines.oecd.org/chinese-due-diligence-guidelines-forresponsible-mineral-supply-chains.htm
Cotterrell, R. (1984). The sociology of law: An introduction. London: Butterworth.
Crane, A., & Matten, D. (2007). Business ethics. Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in the age of globalisation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Crane, A., Matten, D., & Spence, J. (2008). Corporate social responsibility. Readings and cases in global context. New York: Routledge.
Deva, S. (2012). Regulating corporate human rights violations—humanizing business. New York: Routledge.
Di Lorenzo, F. (2013). The role of public private partnerships in labour rights advancement. The Oxford Human Rights Hub. Retrieved April 1, 2015, from http://ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk/the-role-of-public-private-partnerships-in-labour-rights-advancement/
Di Lorenzo, F. (2014). All is quiet on the partnerships front: Scrutinising power dynamics in cocoa partnerships and their effects on child rights advancement in Ghana. PhD thesis. London: King’s College. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.650763
Di Lorenzo, F. (2017). Dodd-Frank Section 1502: The future of due diligence if Dodd-Frank is repealed under the new presidency. Retrieved May 19, 2017, from http://www.estellelevin.com/dodd-frank-1502-future-due-diligence/
Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. (2010). Retrieved April 2, 2015, from http://www.cftc.gov/ucm/groups/public/@swaps/documents/file/hr4173_enrolledbill.pdf
European Council Press Release. (2017). Conflict minerals: Council adopts new rules to reduce financing of armed groups. Retrieved April 26, 2016, from http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2017/04/03-conflict-minerals/
Global Witness. (2014). The case for human rights due diligence. Retrieved May 30, 2015, from https://www.globalwitness.org/documents/13425/psddbrief.pdf
Global Witness. (2015). Digging for transparency. How US companies are only scratching the surface of conflict mineral reporting. Retrieved June 20, 2015, from https://www.globalwitness.org/campaigns/democratic-republic-congo/digging-transparency/
Green, P., & Ward, T. (2004). State crime. London: Pluto Press.
Human Rights Watch. (1994). Angola: Arms trade and violations of the Laws of War since the 1992 elections. New York: Human Rights Watch.
IRIN News. (2017). Who pays the hidden price for Congo’s conflict-free minerals? Retrieved April 26, 2017, from http://www.irinnews.org/investigations/2017/02/14/who-pays-hidden-price-congo%E2%80%99s-conflict-free-minerals?utm_source=IRIN+-+the+inside+story+on+emergencies&&&utm_campaign=ab59f9f88d-RSS_EMAIL_ENGLISH_ALL&&&utm_medium=email&&&utm_term=0_d842d98289-ab59f9f88d-15761377
Jochnick, C. (1999). Confronting the impunity of non-state actors: New fields for the promotion of human rights. Human Rights Quarterly, 21(1), 56–79. http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/hurq21&div=9&id=&page.
Kaeb, C. (2008). Emerging issues of human rights responsibility in extractive and manufacturing industries: Patterns and liabilities risks. Northwestern Journal of International Human Rights, 6(2), 327.
London Mining Network. (2015). European Parliament surprise vote for stronger conflict minerals regulation. Retrieved May 22, 2015, from http://londonminingnetwork.org/2015/05/european-parliament-surprise-vote-for-stronger-conflict-minerals-regulation/
Murphy, D., & Bendell, J. (1999). Partners in time? Business, NGOs and sustainable development (Discussion Paper No. 109. Geneva: UNRISD.
OECD. Due diligence guidance for responsible supply chains of mineral from conflict-affected and high risk areas. OECD Guidance. Retrieved April 22, 2015, from http://www.oecd.org/corporate/mne/mining.htm
OECD. (2013). Upstream implementation of the OECD due diligence guidance for responsible supply chains of minerals from conflict—affected and high—risk areas final report on one—year pilot implementation of the supplement on Tin, Tantalum, and Tungsten. Retrieved May 22, 2015, from http://www.oecd.org/corporate/mne/DDguidanceTTTpilotUpstreamJan2013.pdf
OECD. (2015). Responsible gold also means supporting livelihoods of artisanal miners. The OECD register. Retrieved May 18, 2015, from http://oecdinsights.org/2015/03/24/responsible-gold-also-means-supporting-livelihoods-of-artisanal-miners/
Pedersen, E. R., & Andersen, M. (2006). Safeguarding corporate social responsibility in global supply chains: How codes of conduct are managed in buyer-supplier relationship. Journal of Public Affairs, 6(3–4), 228–240.
Public-Private Alliance for Responsible Minerals Trade (PPA). http://www.resolv.org/site-ppa/
Roberts, S. (2003). Supply chain specific? Understanding the patchy success of ethical sourcing initiatives. Journal Business Ethics, 44(2–3), 159–170.
Ruggie, J. (2008). Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development. Human Rights Council. Agenda item 3—A/HRC/8/5 7 April 2008—Report of the Special Representative of the Secretary General on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises.
Ruggie, J. (2013). Just business. New York: W.W. Norton.
Sarfaty, G. A. (2015) Shining light on global supply chains 56-2 Harvard International Law Journal 419-463. http://www.harvardilj.org/wp-content/uploads/562Sarfaty.pdf
Scherer, A. G., & Palazzo, G. (2011). The new political role of business in a globalized world: A review of a new perspective on CSR and its Implications for the Firm, Governance, and Democracy. Journal of Management Studies, 48(4), 899–931.
Secretary General of the United Nations Consultation. (2007). Improving the human rights performance of business through multi-stakeholder initiatives: Summary report. Retrieved May 30, 2015, from http://business-humanrights.org/sites/default/files/media/bhr/files/MSI-Consultation-6-7-Nov-2007.pdf
Stadtler L (2012). Designing public private partnerships for development. PhD thesis, University of Geneva.
State Department. (2017). Notice of stakeholder consultations on responsible conflict mineral sourcing. Retrieved March 27, 2017, from https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/03/27/2017-05972/notice-of-stakeholder-consultations-on-responsible-conflict-mineral-sourcing
UN Human Rights Council, 17/4 Human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, A/HRC/RES/17/4. https://business-humanrights.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/un-human-rights-councilresolution-re-human-rights-transnational-corps-eng-6-jul-2011.pdf
Utting, P. (2002). Regulating business via multi-stakeholders initiatives: A preliminary assessment. Geneva: United Nations Research Institute for Social Development.
Utting, P. (2005). Corporate responsibility and the movement of business. Development in Practice, 15(3–4), 375–388.
Zammit, A. (2003). Development at risk: Rethinking UN-business partnerships. Geneva: South Centre and United Nations Research Institute for Social Development.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Di Lorenzo, F. (2018). Mineral Supply Chain Transparency: Soft and Hard Laws on Supply Chains Due Diligence and the Rise of Public-Private Partnerships. In: Lu, H., Schmidpeter, R., Capaldi, N., Zu, L. (eds) Building New Bridges Between Business and Society. CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63561-3_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63561-3_9
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-63560-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-63561-3
eBook Packages: Business and ManagementBusiness and Management (R0)