An Amnesty International researcher visited a mine in the Carnot region in May 2015. Children as young as 11 were engaged in mining work instead of attending school. © Amnesty International
13/06/2016 – An open letter from 130 civil society organisations including Amnesty International calling on European Union member states to adopt a strong law on conflict minerals, and which requires European companies to act with due care when buying minerals or products that may be linked to conflict or human rights abuses.
13/06/2016 – 130 civil society organisations have called on the European Union not to squander a unique opportunity to play its part in tackling the conflict minerals trade.
30/05/2016 – Amnesty International is hereby submitting extended written answers to the public consultation questionnaire on a proposal for a mandatory EU Transparency Register.
18/05/2016 – Amnesty International, European Coalition for Corporate Justice and CIDSE all welcome how eight national parliaments launched a “green card” initiative at European Union (EU) level today, to ensure corporate accountability for human rights abuses.
Leg-cuffs displayed by French firm at Eurosatory international defence fair, Paris, July 2008.
A diamond mine in the Central African Republic. ©Amnesty International
The European Parliament has sent a strong message today challenging the inconsistencies within the EU’s approach to stamping out torture. If the EU is serious about leading the charge to eradicate torture and abolish the death penalty, the member states must now follow suit
The millions of fragments of information that we divulge online can be used to build an accurate picture of us. Credit: Amnesty International
28/05/2015 – Grasping the nettle: Ending Europe’s trade in execution and torture technology details these gaps and spells out how EU institutions and member states can and must close them. It is being launched as the European Parliament opens fresh debate on 28 May over proposed amendments to the EU’s “Torture Trade Regulation” in force since 2006.
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If European governments follow suit, this law would represent a sea change in what is expected of companies when the minerals in their products come from countries riven by conflict.