See No Evil, Speak No Evil – Poorly Managed Corruption Risks in the Cobalt Supply Chain

The report  See No Evil, Speak No Evil details how major companies sourcing cobalt from DRC are not doing enough to mitigate potential corruption risks in their supply chains. This is inconsistent with their public support for OECD due diligence guidance on responsible mineral supply chains. This requires companies buying from high-risk zones like Congo to show they have taken steps to ensure their suppliers are not engaging in potentially corrupt activities.

In collaboration with The Sciences Po Law School Clinic Program on Corporate Social Responsibility and Innovation, Resource Matters surveyed 14 companies for which there is reason to believe they may directly or indirectly source cobalt from Glencore in Congo. Resource Matters asked them to explain what steps they had taken to contain the corruption risks arising from Glencore’s payments to Dan Gertler, a businessman sanctioned for corruption by the US administration. According to Resource Matters’ estimates, Glencore owed $200,000 on average per day to Gertler. None of the identified customers could show that they had adequately addressed this problem.

See No Evil, Speak No Evil – Full Report

Press release