The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has taken a bold step by filing criminal complaints (https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/society-equity/congo-files-criminal-complaints-against-apple-europe-over-conflict-minerals-2024-12-17/) in France and Belgium against Apple, alleging that the tech giant sourced conflict minerals linked to armed violence and human rights abuses. Apple has rejected these claims, pointing to robust supply chain audits and a growing shift toward recycled materials.
Regardless of the legal outcome, this case shines a light on a persistent challenge ensuring genuine traceability in complex global supply chains. Minerals like cobalt, tantalum, and tin are critical for modern electronics, but their extraction can come with a heavy human cost, from child labour to funding armed groups.
This isn’t just about one company. It’s a wake-up call for the tech industry, investors, and policymakers to deepen collaboration. Strengthening corporate accountability frameworks, embedding rigorous human rights due diligence, and investing in ethical sourcing models must become the norm, not the exception.
Real progress will require multi-stakeholder engagement - governments enforcing stronger regulations, companies going beyond compliance, and civil society keeping the pressure on. The cost of inaction is measured not only in reputational risk but in real human suffering.
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