March 6, 2017
On January 31, Acting Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Michael Piwowar welcomed interested parties to submit comments relating to the U.S. Conflict Minerals Rule, which guides implementation of the underlying law, Section 1502 of the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Rumors also quickly began swirling about potential action from the White House that would dismantle or suspend the Rule.
I am writing to ask you to please keep the Conflict Minerals Rule intact. Since implementation began in 2013, the Rule has gradually led to improvements in the rule of law in the mining sectors of Congo, Rwanda, and other Great Lakes countries, contributed to improvements in humanitarian conditions in Congo and a weakening of key insurgent groups, and resulted in tangible benefits for U.S. corporations and their supply chains.