United States
Facilitating RBC By Companies [page 17]
“Given the heightened risk of serious human rights impacts in conflict-affected areas, the U.S. government particularly encourages corporate due diligence and reporting under such circumstances.”
Outcome 3.3: Capacity Building and Technical Support to Promote Enabling Environments
New Actions [page 19-20]
“Support for Reducing Land Conflict in West Africa: State is supporting a program to reduce land conflict in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea by strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations to work on land rights and tenure issues as they relate to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. This program complements USAID’s existing investments in Côte d’Ivoire to support responsible business practices in the process of diamond sourcing, support country compliance with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, and stem the flow of conflict diamonds, while improving community land rights.” – Implementing Department or Agency: State
“Stakeholder Engagement in Extractive Industries in East Africa: State is funding a program to promote RBC in East Africa. The goal of the program is to strengthen civil society’s capacity to meaningfully participate in business and human rights initiatives in East Africa and to reduce conflict for communities in the operations of extractive companies.” – Implementing Department or Agency: State
Ongoing Commitments and Initiatives [page 20]
“Dodd-Frank Section 1502: Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) supports regional and international efforts to break the link between conflict and natural resources and prevent armed groups or abusive state forces in the African Great Lakes region from benefiting from the sale of certain natural resources that are sourced from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) or an adjoining country. Section 1502 requires certain companies to submit annually a description of the measures taken to exercise due diligence on the source and chain of custody of the four “conflict minerals.” Commerce will continue to work with the U.S. Geological Survey to issue annually a list of conflict mineral processing facilities to assist in this reporting and will develop recommendations on ways to improve accuracy and establish standards of best practices. State will continue to provide guidance to help companies ensure that their products and their suppliers’ products do not directly or indirectly finance armed conflict or result in labor or human rights violations. Through the Public-Private Alliance for Responsible Minerals Trade, State and USAID work in partnership with U.S. companies and civil society to support conflict-free sourcing from the DRC and African Great Lakes region.” – Implementing Department or Agency: State, USAID, SEC, Commerce, USGS
Annex II: Key Domestic Executive Orders and Regulatory Efforts [page 28]
“Combating Impunity for International Human Rights Violations: DOJ’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section investigates and prosecutes international human rights violations using several U.S. statutes, including the War Crimes Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2441, and the Torture Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2340-2340A. Under these statutes, perpetrators may be held directly or indirectly responsible for specified war crimes or torture committed abroad, including in the course of conducting business, under the circumstances articulated in the statutes.”