In 2010, the U.S. Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the 'Act'), following which the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the 'SEC') issued rules requiring reporting companies to make disclosures concerning the use of Conflict Minerals – defined in the Act as tantalum, tin, tungsten (and the ores from which they originate) and gold. Conflict Minerals originating from the DRC region of Africa have been linked to severe human rights abuses and the raising of funds for violent and illegal purposes.
Supply chain
As a supplier to various companies that are required to report to the SEC under the Act, Helipebs have a duty to ensure that no conflict minerals originating from the DRC region are used in our products. We contractually commit our suppliers to this same duty and expect them to promote these requirements to their own suppliers. Because of our support for the aims of the Act, we are taking systematic steps to understand and ensure that Conflict Minerals from the DRC region are not present in any of our products. Due to the complexity of our supply chain, this undertaking is ongoing, and will require a significant investment of time and resources both now and in the future.
Commitment
Helipebs are committed to working toward avoiding the use of Conflict Minerals that directly or indirectly finance or benefit armed groups in the DRC region. We are implementing steps to determine the use, source and origin of Conflict Minerals in our supply chain. We will work closely with our suppliers in carrying out these steps and fulfilling the aims of the Act. When appropriate, we will work with suppliers in order to remove risks and perform additional due diligence so that we can continue to source responsibly. This process is ongoing and forms an integral part of our supplier audit procedure.
