In 2002, the United Nations Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth of the DRC issued a report which included an annex listing companies which, in their view, had violated the Guidelines in the DRC.

In September 2003, the UN Expert Panel issued another report listing Speciality Metals Company, a Belgian trading company, as not having responded to the Panel's requests for information and referred it to the Belgian NCP to follow up the alleged violations.

The information provided by the UN panel regarding the company's alleged breaches was too vague for the NCP to consider the specific instance. Moreover Specialty Metals provided answers to the panel which the panel did not acknowledge. The NCP met with the company, but there was no other party with which to mediate, as the expert panel was no longer in place 15 days after the specific instance was raised. The NCP therefore issued a recommendation for the company to act in accordance with the Guidelines. A press release to this effect was issued (in French).

Note: As the UN Expert Panel did not specify which provisions of the Guidelines were breached in this specific instance, it has been classified under "general policies".