AVX Corporation and Illinois-based Motorola Solutions recently announced an expansion of a program that will allow it to source conflict-free tantalum, a manufacturing material that has been used to fund decades of conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The program, Solutions for Hope, will expand to the Province of North Kivu, a conflict-prone area of the DRC. It was launched in the DRC’s Katanga province in July 2011. The program allowed for a “closed pipe” supply model to be created to cover mines, smelters, capacitor manufacturers and end users.
The platform allows for tantalum, a material used to manufacture capacitors in electronic products, to be used in Motorola Solutions and AVX products without the involvement of illegal armed groups. Tantalum is derived from coltan, a prominent mineral in the DRC.
“AVX is dedicated to achieving the highest standards for conflict-free supply chains using innovative and reliable methods that preserve and protect human rights around the globe,” said Willing King, deputy general manager – tantalum, AVX Corporation, in a release. “AVX has been and will continue to be a corporate leader and partner to establish groundbreaking practices that set an example for other companies to reach the goal of a conflict-free supply chain without victimizing the innocent.”
“Building a conflict-free mine in the heart of eastern Congo is both a tremendous and courageous step in an area where deadly armed groups roamed just a year ago,” said Sasha Lezhnev, senior policy analyst for the Enough Project, in a release. “Motorola Solutions, AVX and MHI deserve serious praise for making this happen. We look forward to seeing concrete benefits for Congolese miners and communities from the project, as we have seen from other clean mines in the region.”
