Mediaboss Marketing

ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 16, 2017 /3BL Media/ The Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative (CFSI), a coalition of leading companies dedicated to improving the security and human rights conditions in their raw materials supply chains, welcomes the European Union (EU) regulation on supply chain due diligence obligations for EU importers of tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold (3TG). The new regulation was approved today by the European Parliament and will next go before the European Council.

The EU regulation will require importers of 3TG to undertake due diligence in line with the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas (OECD Guidance). The regulation will apply directly to between 600 and 1,000 EU importers and will indirectly affect approximately 500 3TG smelters and refiners globally. The new regulation will take effect on Jan. 1, 2021.

Over the past several years the CFSI has been working with representatives from the European Commission, Council and Parliament to help companies understand the requirements and accompanying measures of the new law, as well as how current due diligence support systems can be leveraged to support compliance under the EU regulation.

To facilitate the acceptance and application of the CFSIs Conflict-Free Smelter Program (CFSP) in the EU framework, the CFSI is currently undergoing a pilot assessment for OECD alignment that is designed to inform a Delegated Act of the EU regulation. The OECD-led Alignment Assessment assesses the alignment of industry programs standards, systems, and implementation efforts with the OECD Guidance. The OECD Alignment Assessment pilot is anticipated to be completed in 2017.

The utilization of collaborative industry platforms in the EU framework will be a critical factor in harmonizing systems, maintaining company engagement, and managing costs to supply chain actors as the EU requirements go into effect, said CFSI Program Director Leah Butler. Responsible sourcing requires the efforts of all stakeholders: governments, companies, industry associations, non-governmental entities and civil society. These actors should continue their efforts to contribute toward security and stability in conflict-affected and high-risk areas globally.

On March 23 in Brussels, the CFSI will be co-hosting a workshop with the European Partnership on Responsible Minerals (EPRM) to discuss resources, tools and multi-industry and multi-sector approaches to facilitate company due diligence. The EPRM is a European-based multi-stakeholder partnership established to improve social and economic conditions for mining communities in Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas.

About CFSI

The CFSI is a multi-industry initiative with over 350 member companies, including associations and service providers. Our members contribute to the development and international uptake of a range of tools and resources including the Conflict-Free Smelter Program, the Conflict Minerals Reporting Template, Reasonable Country of Origin Inquiry data, and guidance documents on responsible sourcing of tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold (3TG). The CFSI runs regular workshops on responsible sourcing issues and contributes to policy development with civil society organizations and governments. For more information, visit conflictfreesourcing.org.

Media Contact:

Jarrett Bens, Director of Communications Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition Phone:+1 571.858.5721 jbens@eiccoalition.org

The rest is here:
CFSI Welcomes European Union Conflict Minerals Regulation - Justmeans

Deutsche Welle

Afghanistan: A women's running group Deutsche Welle A group of women meet in a park in Mazar-i-Sharif to go jogging. To help protect the women against attacks, the area is closed off to other visitors during training. Many in Afghanistan object to women doing sports in public. When Will the Carnage End in Afghanistan?Huffington Post John McCain and Lindsey Graham: Why we need more forces in AfghanistanCT Post 'I strangled a Taliban fighter in Afghanistan', says former commandoCowra Guardian TOLOnews all 11 news articles »

Go here to see the original:
Afghanistan: A women's running group - Deutsche Welle

Anadolu Agency

Car bomb hits army base in eastern Afghanistan The Hindu A suicide car bomb detonated near an army base in the eastern Afghan province of Khost on Friday, killing one soldier and wounding several before the army repelled the attack on the base by four gunmen, the district chief said. The blast, 50 metres ... Taliban attack military base in southeast AfghanistanAnadolu Agency all 6 news articles »

Continued here:
Car bomb hits army base in eastern Afghanistan - The Hindu

An Australian aid worker, kidnapped in Afghanistan in November, has been released.

Najib Danish, the deputy spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Interior, confirmed that the woman was released in Kabul Monday.

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade issued a statement confirming the release. "We thank the authorities in Afghanistan for their support and assistance," the statement said.

"Her family welcomes her safe return and asks that the media respect their privacy at this time," it added.

The woman was kidnapped at gunpoint in one of Kabuls upscale neighborhoods.

Neither the Australian embassy, nor anyone in the Afghan government has provided any information on how and why the woman was released.

Kidnappings, mostly for ransom, are considered one of the biggest risks for foreigners working in the country. Criminal gangs often kidnap people and sometimes sell them to insurgent groups like the Taliban.

Another Australian, a professor at the American University of Afghanistan, remains a hostage, along with an American colleague. Both were seized last August in Kabul.

In January, the two appeared in a video begging the American government to negotiate with their captors. The video was the first sign that the two were alive.

Another Australian aid worker was rescued last August by Afghan special forces.

Similarly, an Indian aid worker from the Aga Khan Foundation was kidnapped in Kabul last June.

While foreigners are a prime target, wealthy Afghans also face the risk of kidnapping. The Afghan Taliban also sometimes kidnap people using illegal check points.

Go here to read the rest:
Australian Aid Worker Released in Afghanistan - Voice of America

The meeting in London on Wednesday between the Pakistani prime ministers special advisor on foreign affairs, Sartaj Aziz, and the Afghan national security advisor, Hanif Atmar a meeting which was painstakingly brokered by Britain was aimed principally at reducing tensions between the countries following a series of major terrorist attacks in Pakistan.

The talks addressed Pakistani allegations regarding sanctuaries for terrorist groups on Afghan soil a mirror complaint to the longstanding Afghan allegations that Pakistan-based militant groups are targeting Afghanistan. India also makes similar allegations against Pakistan, which Pakistan counters by pointing a finger at India-backed militant groups established on Afghan soil.

Clearly, one session in London cannot untangle the Gordian knot. There is a three-way entanglement here and all three countries Pakistan, Afghanistan and India will have to be brought inside the tent, which is easier said than done, because the mutual tensions also stem from unresolved and intractable regional disputes over the disputed Durand Line and the Kashmir problem.

The DailyBrief

Must-reads from across Asia - directly to your inbox

However, the western powers cannot allow Pakistan-Afghan tensions to escalate further as any flashpoint would infinitely complicate matters for the US and NATO troops in Afghanistan.

The appearance of ISIS in Afghanistan lends urgency to efforts to improve Afghan-Pakistan ties, because the stabilization of Afghanistan is impossible without Pakistans cooperation. Indeed, the only winners in the current situation are the terrorists themselves, and that can only aggravate the tenuous security situation within Afghanistan.

The limited objective of the London meeting was to reduce Pakistan-Afghan tensions and specifically to somehow facilitate a reopening of the border. Islamabad closed that border indefinitely following the terrorist attacks and its closure hurts the Afghan economy and people badly.

By closing the border, Pakistan displayed its high indignation that Kabul is unreceptive to its demands for a crackdown on the militant groups inside Afghanistan. But Pakistan cannot be unaware that Kabul lacks the resources to undertake such a mission on a sustained basis.

Pakistan would hope for more direct involvement by US-led western forces in Afghanistan to eliminate the Afghan sanctuaries for terrorist groups. Indeed, this might be considered an unstated pre-condition by Pakistan for the reopening of the Afghan border.

How far the US an NATO can meet Pakistani expectations remains to be seen. At any rate, they give an added dimension to the Trump administrations forthcoming decision on the level of troop deployment in Afghanistan.

Generally speaking, the climate in US-Pakistan relations has been noticeably improving under the Donald Trump administration. Pakistani comfort levels have risen since two key policymakers in the Trump administration are old Afghan hands and familiar faces Defence Secretary General James Mattis and National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. H.R. MacMaster.

At his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Forces Committee in Washington on January 15, Gen. Mattis underscored beyond doubt the importance he attaches to incentivise Pakistans cooperation on issues critical to our national interests and the regions security, with focus on Pakistans need to expel or neutralise externally-focused militant groups that operate within its borders.

This line of thinking reappeared in the statement by the chief of the US Central Command, General Jospeh Votel, before the Senate Armed Services Committee, on March 9. In it he indicated that a new holistic policy outlook toward Pakistan is crystallizing in the Pentagon, one aimed at stemming the drift in US-Pakistan relations seen during the final lap of the Obama presidency.

Gen. Votel stressed that Pakistan is a critical partner and spoke encouragingly about Pakistans efforts to clamp down on terrorist groups. Importantly, he also touched on what Pakistan regards as the core issue namely, its tensions with India. He was critical of Indias policies to isolate Pakistan and voiced apprehension that tensions on Pakistans eastern border might detract from Islamabads efforts to secure its western border with Afghanistan.

Unsurprisingly, New Delhi appears to be sensitive to these US concerns which would explain to an extent the incipient signs that a resumption of the stalled India-Pakistan talks may be in the offing. Both New Delhi and Islamabad are lowering their rhetoric and have taken some humanitarian steps such as release of prisoners.

Without doubt, the British initiative to mediate between Kabul and Islamabad has happened in full consultation and coordination with the US. At a surprisingly early stage for a new US administration, Trumps team may have hit the ground running.

MK Bhadrakumar served as a career diplomat in the Indian Foreign Service for over 29 years, with postings including Indias ambassador to Uzbekistan (1995-1998) and to Turkey (1998-2001). He writes the Indian Punchline blog and has written regularly for the Asia Times since 2001.

Follow this link:
UK helps US renew focus on defeating terror in Afghanistan - Asia Times