<\/p>\n
The UN Security Council has debated how minerals such as lithium, cobalt, copper and rare earths can power the global energy transition without deepening instability in producing countries.<\/p>\n
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Demand for these minerals is expected to rise sharply as countries expand electric vehicles, wind turbines, solar panels, batteries and digital technologies. However, many of these resources are located in countries affected by conflict, weak governance or poverty.<\/p>\n
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UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres said producing countries and communities must benefit from their own resources. \u201cCountries and communities must benefit, first and most, from the resources in their own backyard,\u201d Guterres said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Guterres added: \u201cNo more exploitation. No more plundering.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The debate reflected growing concern that critical minerals are no longer only an economic issue, but also a peace, security and justice issue.<\/p>\n
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Several countries warned that poorly governed extraction can finance armed groups, strengthen criminal networks, damage the environment and leave mining communities without meaningful benefits.<\/p>\n
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China stressed the importance of national sovereignty in resource governance. \u201cCountries have the sovereign right to independently choose the path of development and utilisation of their natural resources,\u201d China said.<\/p>\n
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Colombia warned against repeating historical patterns of unequal extraction. \u201cWe cannot allow this region once again to bear the environmental and social costs of extraction that colonialism taught us,\u201d Colombia said.<\/p>\n
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The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which hosted the debate, said governance will determine whether mineral wealth supports development or fuels instability. \u201cNatural resources can be the foundation of shared prosperity or the engine of predation. Everything depends on how they are governed,\u201d DRC said.<\/p>\n
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Liberia made a similar point, linking resource governance directly to peace. \u201cA diamond can fund a classroom, or it can fuel a militia. A forest can sustain a community, or it can finance a war. Geology does not choose. Governance does,\u201d Liberia said.<\/p>\n
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Pakistan said critical minerals are becoming more strategic as global industries shift. \u201cThe strategic importance of natural resources is increasing as the world transitions towards clean energy, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and digital technologies,\u201d Pakistan said.<\/p>\n
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Somalia said Africa views minerals as both a security concern and a development opportunity. \u201cWhile the security dimension is critical, the African perspective also highlights that minerals are a strategic asset for development, industrialisation and shared prosperity,\u201d Somalia said.<\/p>\n
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No binding Security Council resolution or formal action plan was adopted. However, the debate showed broad support for stronger transparency, traceability, local value addition, community protection and responsible supply chains.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
DRC proposed creating a Group of Friends on the Governance of Natural Resources to sustain dialogue, share best practices and strengthen existing mechanisms.<\/p>\n
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The proposed group would include interested UN member states, regional organisations, international financial institutions, producers, consumers, responsible businesses and civil society.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–UN\/ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":40601,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"news-type":[78,44],"class_list":["post-40600","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-featured","news-type-finance","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"Critical minerals must support clean energy, development and peace rather than fuel conflict, corruption and unequal extraction, United Nations (UN) Security Council members have warned.","published_date":"","news_description":"Critical minerals must support clean energy, development and peace rather than fuel conflict, corruption and unequal extraction, United Nations (UN) Security Council members have warned.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/40600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/40600\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40614,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/40600\/revisions\/40614"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=40600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}