GA Resolution: Against Conflict Minerals

Category: Free Trade


Strength: Mild


Proposed by: Unibotian WA Mission




Description:
The General Assembly,

Noting that precious minerals such as tantalum, tin, tungsten and gold are mined or taxed by armed groups in various failed states and undeveloped nations, with the profits used to fund their militarization,

Acknowledging that said armed groups will often coerce locals to work in extremely dangerous working conditions for mining where numerous human rights abuses are committed,

Understanding that a boycott of conflict minerals in products is oftentimes impossible to do, as it is extremely hard to track the movement, trade and refining of conflict minerals,

Defines "Conflict Mineral" as any ore or metal, the purchase or taxation of which financially supports non-state militant(s),

Hereby:

1. Prohibits the taxation of minerals by a non-state militant group either directly or via proxy;

2. Outlaws the acquisition, ownership or management of a mining/drilling location by a non-state militant group either directly or via proxy;

3. Demands that member-nations endeavor to secure the transportation and trade of minerals so that it can be done reasonably safely without fear of reprisal or injury to the transporter by non-state militant groups, or fear of theft by non-state militant groups;

4. Forbids the direct act or facilitation of purchasing, trading or refining of conflict minerals, although charges against transgressors may be lifted if it is determined by domestic courts that the status of said mineral(s) was not genuinely known to be that of "conflict mineral(s)" by the transgressor;

5. Establishes the International Geological and Metallurgical Laboratory (IGML) as a subdivision of the WA Scientific Programme (WASP);

6. Requests that the IGML work in coordination with member-nations to investigate the source of suspected conflict minerals, and provide analysis without charge (e.g., laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy) for member-nations on the sources of minerals whose sources are widely disputed;

7. Encourages member-nations to urge their domestic businesses to verify the sources of minerals used in their products;

8. Permits Member-Nations to recognize non-state militant groups as de facto state militant groups for the purposes of this legislation, and hereby avoid compliance issues with c.1-2,4 but only if there is clear and present evidence to substantiate c.8.a, and also substantiate either c.8.b or c.8.c, or both:

(A) supporters of the de jure state or neutrals involved in the conflict will not be denied social equality with all other citizens of their nation of residence by the non-state militant group (or a government established with its assistance) if said group gains sovereign or international recognition or acquires a sovereign monopoly over the legitimate use of violence or authority;
(B) the militant group is a response to some form of injustice (e.g., social, political, racial or economic);
(C) the uncoerced will of the people of the nation occupied by the militant group is invested in such a non-state militant group more so than the state militant group (e.g., a democratic liberation front).