Minerals Extraction and Human Rights Violation in Conflict-Affected Area -Has Conflict Minerals Regulation brought about Mechanism Change in the DRC?

  • Date：
    Fri, Dec 17, 2021
  • Time：
    18:30-20:30
  • Location：
    Zoom Webinar
  • Language：

    Japanese and English (Simultaneous interpretation available)

  • Hosts and Co-Host：

    Host: SDGs Collaborative Research Unit, Institute for Future Initiatives, UTokyo,
    JSPS Scientific Research B “Minerals Extraction and Human Rights Violation in Conflict-Affected Area”
    Co-host: NPO RITA-Congo
    Mitsubishi Foundation Research Grant Project “Responsibility of Developing Countries on the Conflict Minerals Issue and Sexual Violence in the DRC”

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  • How to Register：

    Qlick the Registration Form below.

    Registration Form(external link)

    The Zoom Meeting URL will be delivered by mail on the day before this event.

  • Inquiry：

    NPO organization RITA-Congo office
    office★rita-congo.org (★→@)

Overview

The international community has been aware since the 2000s that minerals extraction under the conflict situation has become one of the main factors of human rights violations. To solve this issue, the OECD and the US have introduced regulations on conflict minerals trade in 2010. How has this international community’s involvement changed the mechanisms where conflict actors obtain funds from minerals and engage in human rights violations? Through a case study on Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), this research investigates the impact of conflict minerals regulations on the interest and behavior of actors, including DRC government, the governments of neighboring countries, Western governments, conflict actors (such as armed groups and the military), companies, and aid organizations. In doing so, this research identifies how the mechanism linking conflict and minerals is changed as a result of this involvement.
　The purpose of this symposium is to publish the progress of three years research and to obtain feedback from related researchers and practitioners. Furthermore, by notifying that this research group is conducting a research project on Minerals Extraction and Human Rights Violation in Conflict-Affected Area, our hope is to stimulate research communities toward activation of related research.

Perticipants

Opening Remarks: Kazuyo HanaiAssistant, Professor, The University of Tokyo

Speakers:
Kazuyo Hanai, Assistant Professor, The University of Tokyo
“Has Conflict Minerals Regulation brought about Mechanism Changes in the DRC Conflict?”

Masako Yonekawa, Researcher, Meiji Gakuin University
“The Origins of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence as a Tactic of War in Eastern DRC”

Jean-Claude Maswana, Professor, Ritsumeikan University
“Unreported Minerals Trade in the DRC and its Impacts”

Koji Oishi, Researcher, Aoyama Gakuin University
“Network structure of global development aid: An analysis with stochastic block models”

Discussant: Yutaka Hayashi, Associate Professor, Fukuoka University