This has been a good week for those who care about the human rights crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers joined actress Robin Wright as the latest in a string of celebrities raising awareness about “conflict minerals”, the tin, tantalum and gold that appear in cell phones, computers, automobiles, baby diapers and toothpaste. Speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show  in Las Vegas on Monday, the CEO of Intel got as much press for his declaration that his products will be “conflict-free” in 2014 as he did for his discussion about new innovations. 

The “conflict minerals” at issue are the subject of a complex regulation in Dodd-Frank that requires certain US issuers, regardless of size to conduct extensive due diligence and disclose whether or not their products are “DRC-Conflict free” so that consumers and investors can make informed decisions about whether the products may be supporting rebels involved in rape, torture and child slavery. The purpose of the law, which the SEC will regulate and enforce, is to bring peace, security and stability to the Democratic Republic of Congo. By drying up funding for the rebels, the theory goes, sexual and gender-based violence…