Fourteen months from now, the first conflict minerals reports are due to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC, in August 2012, ruled that US manufacturers and contract manufacturers must disclose any use of conflict minerals that originated in the Congo, where human rights abuses are linked to battles over those minerals.
Here's a graphic representation of the difference between conflict minerals and non-conflict tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold (3TG) and how they're propagated in the design and supply chain.
(Source: Silicon Expert Technologies)
It will be interesting to see how conflict minerals proliferation is implmentated. If organization is using it knowingly, what will be penalties? Minerals are so rare that , many organization may anyway employ them.