See no evil, hear no evil - Corruption risks in the cobalt supply chains

The See no Evil, Hear no Evil report documents how major companies buying cobalt from the Democratic Republic of Congo are failing to do enough to mitigate potential corruption risks in their supply chains. This stands in stark contrast to their public endorsement of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals. Companies sourcing from high-risk areas such as Congo should be able to demonstrate that they have taken steps to ensure their suppliers are not engaged in potentially corrupt activities.

In collaboration with the Sciences Po Law School, Resource Matters investigated 14 companies believed to be directly or indirectly sourcing cobalt from Glencore in Congo. Resource Matters asked them to explain what measures they had taken to address the corruption risks arising from Glencore’s payments to Dan Gertler, a businessman sanctioned by the U.S. government for corruption. According to Resource Matters’ estimates, Glencore owed Gertler an average of $200,000 per day. None of the identified customers could show that they had properly addressed this issue.

This report is only available in french. 

— Resource Matters