The GAO has just issued its 2022 Report on Conflict Minerals, which examines companies’ conflict minerals compliance in 2022. As you probably know, the SEC’s conflict minerals rules were originally mandated by Congress in an...more
Under Dodd-Frank, the GAO is required to assess annually the effectiveness of the SEC’s conflict minerals rules in promoting peace and security and to report on the rate of sexual violence in the DRC and adjoining countries....more
This from consultant Elm Sustainability: Elm advises that companies working on their conflict minerals reporting should not be surprised to see a decline in the number of their audited smelters and refiners...more
Under Dodd-Frank, the GAO is required to assess annually the effectiveness of the SEC’s conflict minerals rules in promoting peace and security and to report on the rate of sexual violence in the DRC and adjoining countries....more
In testimony last week before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, SEC Chair Jay Clayton gave us some insight into his thinking about a number of issues, including cybersecurity at the SEC,...more
The GAO has issued a new report on conflict minerals focused in this instance on the supply chain for artisanal and small-scale mined (ASM) gold in the DRC region. The report also addressed efforts to encourage responsible...more
Development International has posted its most recent Conflict Minerals Benchmarking Study, analyzing the results of filings for the 2016 filing period. The study looked at filings submitted by the 1,153 issuers that had filed...more
It’s not only the NGOs that have expressed their dismay at the no-action position taken by Corp Fin and Acting SEC Chair Michael Piwowar with regard to compliance by companies with the conflict minerals rule. In this April 26...more
The GAO has recently issued its third annual report on conflict minerals. The GAO is required by Dodd-Frank to report annually on the effectiveness of the SEC’s conflict minerals rule in promoting peace and security in the...more
A draft of the Financial CHOICE Act of 2017 (fka version 2.0), a bill to create hope and opportunity for investors, consumers, and entrepreneurs — a masterpiece of acronyming — has just been released (and weighs in at 593...more
On April 5, just prior to the release of Corp Fin’s Updated Statement on conflict minerals, the Senate Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy held a hearing on the effects on the Democratic Republic of the Congo of...more
A number of NGOs have issued statements emphatically rejecting Corp Fin’s Updated Statement on the Effect of the Court of Appeals Decision on the Conflict Minerals Rule and the Acting Chair’s separate Statement on conflict...more
On April 7, 2017, in light of the entry of final judgment by the D.C. District Court in National Association of Manufacturers v. SEC, Corp Fin issued an Updated Statement on the Effect of the Court of Appeals Decision on the...more
Today, the D.C. District Court entered final judgment in National Association of Manufacturers v. SEC, holding that Section 1502 of Dodd-Frank and Rule 13p-1 and Form SD, Conflict Minerals, violate the First Amendment to the...more
Bloomberg BNA is reporting that the State Department has launched a new review of “how best to support responsible sourcing of conflict minerals,” which will continue through April 28. Although it’s not known whether the SEC...more
Not everyone is pleased by the actions taken by Acting SEC Chair Michael Piwowar directing the SEC staff to review the conflict minerals and pay-ratio disclosure rules. In fact, today, four Senate Democrats on the Senate...more
Last week, the European Parliament approved, by a vote of 558 to 17 with 45 abstentions, new rules on conflict minerals, 3TG—tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold. Proceeds from the sale of conflict minerals, which are used in...more
The parties to the conflict minerals case have filed in the D.C. District Court a “Joint Status Report,” which requests that the Court enter a final judgment in accordance with the decision of the Court of Appeals. As a...more
As reported by the WSJ, at the SEC Speaks conference today, to avoid any doubt on the matter, Acting Corp Fin Director Shelley Parratt reminded companies that, notwithstanding the two requests for public comment issued by...more
Remember all the way back to last week when Acting SEC Chair Michael Piwowar issued two statements on the conflict minerals rules? Remember too that the first statement directed the staff to revisit the 2014 guidance from...more
Yesterday, Acting SEC Chair Michael Piwowar issued two statements on the conflict minerals rules, neither of which is definitive, but which together make clear that further guidance on the rules is in the offing and that it...more
As of now, Forms SD and conflict minerals reports are still due on May 31, 2017. With all the discussion, in light of the election results, of rolling back legislation and regulations, through the Financial CHOICE Act and...more
In remarks at the PLI Securities Regulation Institute yesterday, Corp Fin Deputy Director (Disclosure Operations) Shelley Parratt confirmed, as we all suspected, that it’s status quo on conflict minerals reporting again this...more
The GAO has issued its annual conflict minerals report to Congress, entitled “Companies Face Continuing Challenges in Determining Whether Their Conflict Minerals Benefit Armed Groups.” The GAO is required to report annually...more
Two consulting firms, Assent Compliance and Source Intelligence, have published their studies on conflict minerals (tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold) reporting for 2015, the third year of required SEC reporting. For 2015,...more