Companies should be taking steps to source minerals responsibly. However, laws on responsible sourcing of minerals tend to focus on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and its neighbouring countries. As a result, companies may focus their efforts on the DRC or adjoining/covered countries rather than other countries where the trade in minerals is linked to conflict and human rights abuses. If a company's responsible sourcing policy covers all conflict-affected and high-risk areas - as opposed to just the DRC or Covered Countries - this would be a good sign that they take the issue seriously and are willing to go beyond the legal requirements.

Page 6 of the SEC Dodd-Frank Act provides a definition of “adjoining country”; they are also listed in this metric under Methodology.