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T.I.C. responds to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) motion 064

IUCN motion 064 wrongly alleges, without any justification, that those sourcing columbite-tantalite (coltan) in central Africa fail to follow the OECD Guidance.

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, January 31, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A motion(1) at the upcoming IUCN conference claims that ‘environmental degradation in Africa happens because importers fail to follow OECD guidelines on sustainable mining practices and human rights compliance (“OECD Guidance”)’. The motion alleges without any factual justification that those sourcing columbite-tantalite (coltan) in Africa fail to follow the standards laid out in the OECD Guidance.

To the contrary, the Tantalum-Niobium International Study Center (T.I.C.)(2), as the industry organisation, requires its members to comply with the requirements of the OECD Guidance. Furthermore, all tantalum smelters/refiners, that are members of the T.I.C., are required to be independently audited(3) to verify their compliance with the OECD Guidance.

“The T.I.C. membership takes seriously its leadership position in social and environmental issues for the tantalum and niobium industry, as witnessed by the fact that 100% of our smelters have been audited and verified as conflict-free through the RMAP audit process. The tantalum industry is proud of its track record in the area of verifiable compliance programs for ethical minerals extraction in central Africa and strongly condemns any and all illegal mining activities in the region” stated Dr. Daniel Persico, President of the T.I.C.

The industries that are regulated through these verification programs support tens of thousands of workers and their families while involving the whole supply chain in the process of sourcing integrity.

The T.I.C. was an early adopter of conflict-free mining initiatives in central Africa, having engaged with the tin industry, via the International Tin Association (ITA), in setting up the on-the-ground track and trace ITSCI Program from 2008 onwards. This program, underscored by OECD Guidance, remains to this day the largest due diligence program for tantalum, tin and tungsten minerals mined in the DRC and neighboring countries.



1 - 064 “Promoting sustainable and ethical mining practices in Africa”
2 - The T.I.C. is the international association for the tantalum and niobium industries. It is a non-profit organisation founded in 1974 under Belgian law that represents around 90 members from over 25 countries involved with all aspects of our industry. Further details can be found at www.TaNb.org.
3 - The Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP) operated by the Responsible Minerals Initiative

Roland Chavasse, Director
Tantalum-Niobium International Study Center (T.I.C.)
+32 2 649 51 58
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