On June 1, companies across the U.S. will provide reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission documenting whether the products they manufacture contain minerals mined in Congo. It’s only the second time in history companies will file the disclosures. The issue of conflict minerals is gaining steam worldwide. In recent weeks, the European Union Parliament passed draft regulations related to cracking down on companies that use minerals in their products mined from Congo as a way to work toward improving human rights conditions in the war-torn region. An emerging voice in the conflict mineral debate is that of U’s S.J. Quinney College of Law professor Jeff Schwartz, who is scheduled to publish an article in the Harvard Business Law Review this fall. The article examines the inaugural data submitted by companies to the SEC—and whether the disclosures helped with supply chain transparency. Schwartz is available to discuss his research and current happenings related to the worldwide discussions about conflict minerals.
Phone: 801-581-3773 | Email: jeff.schwartz@law.utah.edu