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[STMO999]

hmmm - a bit heavy for Friday afternoon - but for example coltan is a mineral used in mobile phones. Because of its value people in Rwanda and Congo fight over it.

Is this source of revenue, which should be good for the economy of those countries, to be banned because it causes conflict? Or the companies that buy it criticised for not having measures in place as to guarantees that it has not been purchased from rebels etc? Or should it not be for the UN to act decisively to sort out such messes with vast amounts of human suffering and civil war.
Belgium is always pushing to make companies responsible for doing the job of  governments and threatening bans etc. My point was that whilst some of us do understand the situations reasonably well - we are not backed up by say UK civil servants who tend to jump on the anti business bandwagon to avoid criticsm of government's standing by and watching the atrocities unfold.

Not sure if that helps.

The world has always been at the mercy of politicians and beaurocrats. It is in the interests of most rich countries to keep things exactly as they are, thus condemning developing countries to remain that way for many years to come.
Most of what you are told are only half-truths at the best of times, national interests come first, and always will.

[Pitchfork]

hmmm - a bit heavy for Friday afternoon - but for example coltan is a mineral used in mobile phones. Because of its value people in Rwanda and Congo fight over it.

Is this source of revenue, which should be good for the economy of those countries, to be banned because it causes conflict? Or the companies that buy it criticised for not having measures in place as to guarantees that it has not been purchased from rebels etc? Or should it not be for the UN to act decisively to sort out such messes with vast amounts of human suffering and civil war.
Belgium is always pushing to make companies responsible for doing the job of  governments and threatening bans etc. My point was that whilst some of us do understand the situations reasonably well - we are not backed up by say UK civil servants who tend to jump on the anti business bandwagon to avoid criticsm of government's standing by and watching the atrocities unfold.

Not sure if that helps.

Tantalum capacitors are used in products other than mobile phones & the ore is mined in other continents too

[LaserLance]

Easy way to sort belgium out ,give the flemish side to the dutch and the silly wallons to the french,problem sorted I mean how can you have 2 goverments running 1 country ::)OK I know it is a bit off a mischevious comment but whoever takes belgium serouisly?

[pscocoa]

And to quote from the original post on this thread:

"The country, which is home to European Union institutions and the NATO military alliance, takes over the six-month European Union presidency on July 1, and the domestic crisis throws into doubt its ability to set any meaningful EU agenda. "

[doog]

We have a duty to stop Belgium imploding
 I do NOT want the supply of Stella Artois drying up !!

no other reason mind you 

[Pitchfork]

We have a duty to stop Belgium imploding
 I do NOT want the supply of Stella Artois drying up !!

no other reason mind you 

I do & so will all beaten wives!

[bertiecbx550]

Nah poirot will save em...