Ciaran Lynch
Ceist:59 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps the European Union is taking to address the export of resources, such as coltan, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [31725/09]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 23 September 2009
Ceisteanna (68)
Freagraí scríofa
The EU is closely following the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as that country recovers from the effects of the brutal 1996-2003 civil war. While much of the country has achieved a degree of stability, several localised conflicts have continued, most notably in the east of the country. These conflicts have in many cases been characterised by an appalling degree of brutality, with large-scale attacks on the civilian population and widespread sexual violence. It is a matter of particular concern that the illegal exploitation and trade of natural resources is financing armed groups, thus fuelling these conflicts.
The east of the DRC is particularly rich in natural resources, with sixty-four percent of the world's reserves of coltan. Rapidly increasing consumption levels in relation to electronic products in developed nations have sent coltan prices soaring in recent years. Coltan is used in cellular phones, computers, jet engines, missiles, ships, and weapons systems. Mining for coltan, therefore, is a highly profitable industry, especially when compared to other opportunities in a region racked by poverty and war. Workers are willing to compromise their human rights for the opportunity to earn a living wage in the mining camps where coltan is extracted.
The EU has also actively supported efforts to address ongoing instability in the DRC. It fully backs the work of MONUC, the UN mission to the DRC. The EU's Special Representative for the Great Lakes region, Mr. Roeland van de Geer, leads the Union's efforts to promote the stabilisation of eastern DRC. In February 2009 the EU hosted a meeting to establish the Task Force on Illegal Exploitation and Trade of Natural Resources in the Great Lakes Region. This Task Force includes representatives and experts from MONUC, the US, the OECD, Canada, Norway and EU member states.
It has held three meetings to date, with its next meeting scheduled to take place on 6 October in Brussels. To date, its work has focused on (i) encouraging the mapping of the mining areas controlled by the armed groups and the army, (ii) the publication of other relevant data concerning the supply chain of minerals in eastern DRC; (iii) building capacity in the DRC authorities in surveillance and control and (iv) improving due diligence in the DRC.
The work of the Task Force underlines the EU's commitment to the Congolese people and the importance it attaches to ending the illegal exploitation and trade of natural resources and to consolidating the rule of law, security and stability in the DRC.