Launch of the UN Task Force on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, Press Conference | UNEA-7 Conferences Date: 10 December 2025 Language: English Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/en/asset/k1n/k1n0wu5q8x Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations. --- Moderator · Keisha [0:06]: All right, I think we're ready to get started. Happy Human Rights Day, everyone, and good afternoon, one and all. Welcome to this stakeholders' briefing on the UN Task Force on Critical Energy Transition Minerals. So, the topic of this briefing is of great importance today and certainly for the future. Addressing climate change relies in large part on the success of the energy transition, which in turn rests on the supply of a set of minerals we call critical energy transition minerals. Now, in 2024, the UN Secretary-General launched his Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals to develop a set of global and common voluntary principles that would help guide mineral development towards pathways of justice, economic and social prosperity, sustainability, and human rights protections. So we meet here today to share an important update from the UN family, to ensure coordinated collective action in this space and impactful follow-up to the panel's outstanding work so far. And to present the new task force, new UN Task Force on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, we have 3 speakers this morning, this afternoon. Ms. Inge Andersen, who is UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme. We have Mr. Selwyn Hart, who is a Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Action and Just Transition. And we have Mr. Pedro Moreno, who is Deputy Executive Secretary of UNCTAD. Now, UNDP is also a member of this UN task force, but the new Administrator, who is, I'm told, in Nairobi, had unfortunately another engagement, so was not able to join us. I'll move straight into our speakers now, and we'll first hear from Ms. Anderson. Over to you. Thank you. UNEP · USG, Executive Director · Inger Andersen [1:39]: Thank you very much, Keisha, and good morning— good afternoon. It's a pleasure to see you all, and it's a great pleasure to sit next to my dear colleagues, Selwyn on one side and Pedro on the other, So that is the Secretary-General's Special Advisor on Climate Action and Just Transition and the Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD. And you should imagine that UNDP is sitting next to us as well. Now, first of all, critical mineral transition, critical energy transition minerals are absolutely critical, and they are also important in the context of UNEA. I should mention to you, of course, those of you who are long journey women and long journey men, that UNEA 4 Resolution 19 stressed the issue and said that UNEP had to take an overview and existing assessment of different governance initiatives and approaches to ensure sustainable management of metals and minerals. That was an important step. UNEP V Resolution 12 told us that we needed to work on enhancing international cooperation on mining and metals and identify environmental focal point for this issue at the member state level. UNEA Resolution 6— UNEA 6 Resolution 5 told us that, and told member states, that we needed to work across the lifecycle of minerals and metals to align with the 2030 Agenda, and we were asked to develop a digital knowledge hub, seek capacity-building opportunities and cooperation in the minerals space. In addition, I should mention that one of the things we have done is, under the leadership of Assistant Secretary-General Naranja, develop the standard for management of mine tailings, a standard that was heavily negotiated with industry, with civil society, and with technical skills. That standard is now enforced and is expected to be upheld by anybody creating mine tailings. Here at UNEA VII, as you may know, Colombia and Oman have joined forces to submit a resolution and it speaks to strengthening international cooperation and environmentally sound management of metals and minerals, and negotiations are ongoing as we speak, so it's too soon to say how they will land, but I can tell you that Colombia has arranged a side event that will be held today on the Global Traceability, Transparency and Accountability Framework, and that tomorrow UNEP, UN Women and UNDP, in partnership with the Government of Germany, will convene a high-level luncheon to discuss gender and mining. So all of this is very important because it shines a light on what are the conversations here in Nairobi and in the context of UNEA. There will also be, on the 12th of December, so the day after tomorrow, a leadership dialogue, so that is within the programme of UNEA, that will focus on circularity in the minerals value chain. I believe ASG Noronha is moderating that, am I right? No, sorry, I can see that she's not, but nevertheless, that's a very important leadership dialogue that is happening. What we are here to talk about today is that the Secretary-General has endorsed, after he had the panel that did the report, the creation of a United Nations task force on critical energy transition minerals. Because what is clear is, if we're going to tackle this, there is a trade-related story, there is an environmental-related story, there's a development-related story, and obviously all of that has to come together, whether it's for the AI and the digital transition, the energy transition, or other transitions. This matters and matters greatly. And so it's co-chaired between UNEP, UNCTAD, and UNDP, this new task force, and it will work on supporting global action across the mineral value chain, coordinate and strengthen and align support to the frontline of the UN system, the Resident Coordinators and the agencies, and develop knowledge products and capacity building that can be deployed with member states, and we're really happy that the Climate Action Team under the leadership of Selwyn Hart will be very, very much part and parcel of this, together with ourselves, as I just mentioned, as a co-chair and as a key entry point to the Executive Office of the Secretary-General. We are very much looking also to leaning back on the regional commissions to implement some of the recommendations, including the Global Mining Legacy Fund and the material efficiency and circularity, which is part of the recommendations. We look forward to supporting and putting our shoulder to the wheel to contribute to technical discussions on value addition from our side, value addition, traceability, artisanal and small-scale mining, and that would be led by UNCTAD and other UN agencies, and of of course, provide technical support to the frontline, our country offices. Here, what we are essentially telling you is that multilateral cooperation and partnerships beyond the UN too is absolutely essential for us to respond to what we can see is a driving demand and hunger for minerals and metals. Let's just before we sort of have a new, quote-unquote, race to this, then let's make sure that we look at those aspects that we know can lead to injustice, can lead to environmental harm, can lead to undermining good advances that have already been made, can lead to biodiversity loss, can lead to water pollution, these— and of course harming environmental and human rights. All of this is very important, which is why Working across the UN agencies matters and matters greatly, and we need to lean in and get away from the high-metabolism linear economy and lean into circularity, mine that which today is just garbage. So that's a conversation that we are happy to have today. Thank you. Moderator · Keisha [8:12]: Thank you very much, Ms. Andersen. Next, we'll hear remarks from Mr. Selwyn Hart, Special Advisor to the SG on Climate Action. Over to you, sir. UN · Special Advisor to the SG on Climate Action and Just Transition · Selwyn Hart [8:21]: Thank you so much and good afternoon. First, let me thank our leader, Executive Director Inger Andersen, and her fabulous team at UNEP for their continued support and leadership. It's also a pleasure to share the stage with the Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD, Pedro Moreno. We worked very closely over the course of the last few years in supporting this important work, and it's a pleasure to be back in Nairobi. Ironically, it's the place where the panel finalized its landmark report on critical energy transition minerals. And today we take the next decisive step, launching the UN task force that will turn these ideas into action. The reality is that we're standing at the dawn of a new clean energy era. The way we power our economies and societies is undergoing the fastest transformation in human history. Renewables are now the cheapest source of new electricity in almost every country. Renewables are driving prosperity, empowering communities long left behind, and cleaning the air our children breathe. At the heart of this transformation lie the minerals that make it possible: copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, rare earth elements, to name a few. They are the building blocks of the clean energy age. Moderator · Keisha [10:03]: Thank you. UN · Special Advisor to the SG on Climate Action and Just Transition · Selwyn Hart [10:03]: For resource-rich developing countries, these minerals represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to diversify economies, create decent jobs, boost revenues, and accelerate progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. With global demand for transition minerals expected to more than double by 2040, These resource-rich developing countries should be at the center of the clean energy economy, not at its margins. But today's reality tells us another story, a completely different story. Too many developing countries are trapped at the bottom of the value chain, exporting raw materials while importing inequality. Too many communities bear the scars of pollution, unsafe labor, and environmental devastation. Too many children are paying the price for minerals that should be powering a brighter future for them. As demand rises, so does exploitation. This is one of the great or greatest injustices of the transition. Those that have contributed the least to the climate crisis are again at risk of gaining the least from the solutions. That is why the Secretary-General created his Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals to ensure that this transition is not only fast but fair, chaired by Ambassador Nozipho Dliseko of South Africa and Director-General Dita Jorgensen of the European Union. The panel brought together governments, industry, civil society, Indigenous people, youth, and the UN system to deliver a blueprint for action. Its report is not a theoretical document. It is a practical, principled roadmap, a guide to anchor the renewables revolution in justice, transparency, and shared prosperity. Its 7 guiding principles and actionable recommendations, show how to strengthen investment, protect human rights, and enforce environmental standards and safeguards, and ensure value is created and retained at source in developing countries. So today we shift from recommendations to results, and as Executive Director Andersen indicated, the Secretary-General has endorsed a the creation of this UN task force to coordinate UN system-wide support and help countries to implement the panel's vision. UNEP, UNCTAD, and UNDP will lead and coordinate the UN system, including the Regional Economic Commissions, UNIDO, and the UN Development Coordination Office. Our first priority is simple and urgent: targeted, tailored country-level support. UNDP and the Development Coordination Office will operationalize a country support mechanism, and the task force will identify initial pilot countries where assistance will be rapidly deployed. The work ahead is both complex and urgent, but the costs of inaction is far greater. We cannot allow the clean energy economy to be built on old injustices. We cannot repeat history, as the Secretary-General often says, and we will not. The UN, working as one, has the responsibility to support the empowerment of people, community, and countries. Together with governments, industry, workers, communities, and the UN family, we can ensure that the minerals powering the energy transition also power opportunity, dignity, and sustainable development. To our civil society partners, including those who supported the work of the panel, rest assured that your expertise, networks, and support will be vital as we move this work forward, and we will make sure you are involved at every step of the way. Let us make this new energy era not only cleaner but fairer, more just, and more prosperous for all. I thank you. Moderator · Keisha [14:48]: Thank you very much, Mr. Hart. And the final speaker in our short lineup is Mr. Pedro Moreno, Deputy Executive Secretary of the UN Conference on Trade and Development. Over to you. UNCTAD · Deputy Executive Secretary · Pedro Moreno [14:58]: Thank you so much. Good afternoon, everybody. Dear Inger, dear Selwyn, very happy to be here. Inger, thank you for opening up this space in your UNEA to be able to present this initiative and to start the ball rolling already. And for UNCTAD, it's really a pleasure to start working closely with all of you, all the stakeholders to make this initiative really impactful and relevant on the ground, which is, I think, the focus at this stage of the way. I will now present the more detailed structure of the task force and the nitty-gritty of it so that you are clear on what it's going to achieve and how we are going to get organized. As was mentioned already, this Critical Energy Transition Minerals Task Force is a UN system wide mechanism operating under the authority of the UN Secretary-General. Its purpose is to bring together and coordinate all UN efforts linked to the principles and actionable recommendations set out by the Secretary-General's Panel on CETMs. Simply put, we are moving from fragmented support scattered across institutions to a unified system designed to deliver stronger, faster, and most of all, most coherent results on the ground. On the membership and leadership, the task force brings together a wide range of UN expertise. It includes the members of the Secretary-General's Working Group on Transforming Extractive Industries, the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, the UN Development Coordination Office, and UNFCCC. It will be co-chaired, as was said before, by UNEP, UNDP, and us, UNCTAD, and the core members include the 5 Regional Economic Commissions, the World Bank, UNIDO, the Development Coordination Office, and the Executive Office of the Secretary-General. The key point here is that we are combining deep technical expertise, a strong capacity-building abilities, and extensive networks, all in service of mineral-rich developing countries. In terms of the way the task force will deliver, we will have— sorry— 2 main delivery mechanisms: one, technical clusters; 2, a country-level support mechanism. On the technical clusters, these clusters will generate analysis to support better understanding and actions along the entire critical minerals value chain. They will focus on issues governments are prioritizing, and this is important: value addition, economic diversification, fair benefit sharing, traceability, environmental safeguards, and circularity. They will produce global guidance and knowledge products and support applications at the country level. We will have 5 clusters, one that represents the 5 actionable recommendations of the panel's report. One, diversification, value addition, and benefit sharing, led by UNCTAD and UNIDO with UNDP. Second, traceability and transparency, led by UNCTAD and the Regional Economic Commissions. 3, global mining legacy funds, led by UNEP and the Regional Economic Commissions. 4, artisanal and small-scale mining, led by UNDP and the World Bank; and 5, material efficiency and circularity, led by UNEP and the Regional Economic Commissions. This is one mechanism. The second is the country-level support mechanism. This mechanism will respond directly to country demand. It will use the technical clusters' work, as well as leverage tools and expertise already available to strengthen and scale what works. It will offer 3 things: a roster of UN experts, a rapid response service offer for governments, and close coordination with Resident Coordinators and UN country teams. UNDCO, UNDP, the Regional Economic Commissions, and other task force members, working in close coordination, of course, with the co-chairs, will develop the operational and resource arrangements for this mechanism. Finally, let me emphasize 3 points on how the task force will work that I think are important. One is rapid implementation. We will start immediately and deliver a progress update and early results within 6 months. 2, build on what exists, and this is very important in a moment where we are talking about UNAID and the reform efforts. We will not create new structures. But rather build on existing mandates and strengthen and align what the system already has and is already providing. And 3, strong coordination. The co-chairs will ensure alignment between technical clusters and country support and maintain transparency and consistency across all activities. Finally, let me very briefly elaborate on UNCTAD's contribution and value added as one of the co-chairs of this task force. We are proud to serve as a co-chair of the task force and co-lead on the cluster focused on value addition and traceability. We bring here 3 key strengths. First, we approach CTMs not as a mining issue but as a structural transformation challenge. Our mandates, grounded in decades of work on commodities, industrial policy and trade allows us to connect upstream extraction to downstream value addition, regional value chains and long-term economic diversification. CETMs were actually again a core issue at our recent ministerial conference, UNCTAD 16, where our member states gave us a clear and very strong mandate on advancing CTM issues for our next 4-year cycle. Second, we offer rigorous analytical approaches. Our rapid assessment methodology that is already applied in Southern African countries identifies concrete and feasible CTM products with growing demand in global and regional markets. The methodology leverages existing capabilities to promote diversification, attract investment, and reduce exposure to volatile commodity cycles. Finally, we bring convening power and neutrality. As a trusted UN platform, we bring producers, consumers, investors, governments, and development partners together to shape policies that create value at home and build resilient global value chains. These trends position UNCTAD, along with the rest of the co-chairs, to support commodity-dependent countries in turning critical minerals into engines of inclusive and sustainable enable development, that I think is the overarching purpose of the Access. So, dear friends, this task force is not just another coordination effort. It represents the UN system's collective commitment to ensure that the green transition is also a development transition, one that delivers real economic opportunities for the countries that supply the world's essential minerals. So with that, let me hand over to the moderator, and I thank you. Moderator · Keisha [22:26]: Thank you very much to our panel. So I'd like to invite participants now to raise any questions, reflections, remarks following the announcement of the task force. We have roving mics on the floor if anybody would like to just make themselves seen. We have someone behind you, Moses. Please introduce yourself as well. Thank you. Jenny Rodriguez [22:47]: Thank you. Thank you. My name is Jenny Rodriguez from the Inter-American Association for Environmental Defense, an NGO in Latin America. My question is, like, when you say the clusters are going to prioritize the issues that are more important for governments, how are you doing this prioritization? Or how are you planning to do the prioritization? And also, Which mechanisms or spaces does civil society participate in the implementation of this new mechanism? Moderator · Keisha [23:23]: Thank you. UNEP · USG, Executive Director · Inger Andersen [23:27]: Maybe I'll just start. I mean, obviously, each country would have a different challenge. Some countries, heavy chemicals are being used in the mining process and the immediate challenge is leaching into the open environment. If that were the challenge, then that would be the priority, if I can put it this way. It's not just— and so it depends very much on what it is, but it is also about responding to our country teams that are on the front line, who will identify better than we sitting in headquarters whether it's be in Nairobi, Geneva, or New York, what the priorities are in country A, B, or C. What, from our perspective, is a concern is there is this rush into this space, and we would want to make sure that the environment— from our perspective, that the environmental considerations are adequately taken into account before countries or companies is rushed to sign deals that could leave us with years and decades of cleanup. That would be the UNEP approach. There are different concerns whether— because UNDP would obviously look at the development returns to the communities. UNCTAD would look at justice and trade and traceability and such, and so on and so forth. So I think each of these would have a reflection of what is the primary issue of the burning platform in that particular country. I don't know if my colleagues would wish to engage as well. UN · Special Advisor to the SG on Climate Action and Just Transition · Selwyn Hart [25:04]: Thanks. I just wish to add to the comments made by Inger. When you look at the report, the report was developed by close to 30 countries, primarily resource-rich developing countries. So the principles and recommendations really reflect the priorities that these countries, as well as civil society representatives and the industry— it more or less reflects the priority areas where these countries, but also civil society, have identified for immediate action. As Inger said, it will vary from country to country. Some countries will need capacity building across every aspect of the value chain. Some will need help on regulatory and policy support, etc. This is why this new structure is so focused on delivering tailored country-level support. We have this roadmap or blueprint, which is the panel report, and individual countries will need to identify from within that roadmap or blueprint what are their more immediate priorities. On the engagement of civil society, I was very clear in my intervention. We saw the value of civil society involvement and engagement in the development of the panel report. We had 2 representatives of Indigenous Peoples' groups, one from the Global North, one from the Global South. We had the youth, representative. We had different segments, you know, human rights, environmental NGOs, etc., and their participation was as an equal member of the panel, and therefore, you know, and their contribution was extremely valuable in shaping that final outcome. As we move forward with the implementation of the panel report and recommendation, we will continue to insist that civil society continues to be an equal partner in the implementation phase. And we will need the input of civil society. We're not perfect. We— and we will need the input of civil society in different country settings to help us and guide us to ensure that that principled voice has a seat at the table. UNCTAD · Deputy Executive Secretary · Pedro Moreno [28:06]: Just to add on the civil society engagement, I think that is important also that the structure of the task force also allows for an effective engagement through its different platforms that the organizations and the institutions taking place in the task force already have through our mechanisms. Also, at the country level, of course, there's already an engagement in place, depending, as the Executive Director said, depending on the country and the context. So we will gather all those inputs as well and all those contributions into our work. Moderator · Keisha [28:41]: Thank you very much. We have— well, we'll start over there then. Isaac Lata [28:45]: Yes. Thank you very much. Just 2 quick ones. How is— I'm Isaac Lata from Eswatini. How is the task force dealing with the fact that some of these hotspots of these critical minerals happen to also be conflict zones? I didn't hear anything from the panel regarding how you're going to be dealing with the issue of conflicts. We see a lot of fueling of conflicts in all of these hotspots. And the second part is, how are you building trust amongst these countries, particularly these countries where these minerals are found, in terms of ensuring that they don't lose their sovereign control on these minerals and this initiative being seen as just one of those ways of countries losing their sovereign rights in terms of control of these minerals? UNEP · USG, Executive Director · Inger Andersen [29:43]: Obviously, we are the United Nations and sovereignty is core to the very essence of and mandate and mission of the United Nations. What has happened and what we have seen over the decades is, of course, that deals have been signed by which countries have lost a degree of control over their natural resources. In my long career, I've certainly witnessed some very inappropriate deals being signed with futures prices being fixed in today's market rate, but fixed 40 years into the future, as an example, which of course is deeply unjust. And so what this task force, which includes the World Bank and which includes those that deal with this, can, when so requested, is advised precisely to get a fairer deal, to ensure that regulatory settings are in place, to ensure that scrutiny of proposed deals go through appropriate review processes, precisely such that such deals brings a development return to the people and brings the control of natural resources where it belongs. Another issue that we would very much want to recommend is, of course, that the value addition— the world is locked into colonial exploitative extraction still. We have to accept that much of the infrastructure is directed in that way. And so how do we release ourselves from that reality? How do we ensure that the value addition of the raw material happens in location, in the mining location. That's very critical because that will drive jobs. One of the elements that will help in that is that the renewable energy is often— potential is often available also in some of these core locations. The President of this country, for example, has highlighted the imperative that if we want to reach for decarbonization of our economies, which we do, then we will have to invest in renewable energy in the Global South, where solar certainly is highly competitive and green hydrogen accordingly. So much of this has to come together, which is why the Secretary-General started this panel, precisely to ensure that these broader issues could be in play. At the end of the day, the UN cannot ensure something that happens on a national setting, but we can certainly provide advice, technical support, and insight and lessons learned across boundaries? UN · Special Advisor to the SG on Climate Action and Just Transition · Selwyn Hart [32:19]: Thank you. If I may, when the panel was doing its work last year, this was— your first question— this was one of the issues of concern, and this is why we have this recommendation on traceability. the need for a global standard or, or on this issue of, of traceability. So it, it really is about trying to address some of these issues. We will not be able to solve everything. We're absolutely realistic, but really, if we can find ways of addressing some of these challenges. We will definitely do our best. On the issue of sovereignty, I can assure you the UN is not in the business of taking away anyone's sovereignty— taking sovereignty away. Quite to the opposite. And this is an initiative, as Inger said, you know, the types of deals countries are currently signing, many of them are extremely exploitative, right? And as demand rises, we run the risk of this exploitation also rising. And this effort, the creation of the panel, the work that is being done across the system and putting together this coordination coordination and coordinated and tailored country support really is to empower— is geared towards empowering people, empowering communities, and empowering countries to make the right decisions and decisions that are in the best interests of their people, communities, and countries. So it is about empowering. It is not about depriving any country of their sovereignty. We're the United Nations, and, and, and, and, and we're not in that business. We are in the business of empowering. And as the Secretary-General has said, this initiative and this effort is about ensuring that this transition is fair and just. At present, it is not. You know, in We're on a continent that has 60% of the best solar potential globally, 30%, in excess of 30% of the minerals critical for the energy transition, and last year it attracted just 2% of clean energy investments. So, We're really at the crossroads here, and this is why efforts like this are so important and so critical and so urgent in ensuring that this transition is truly a just, equitable, and inclusive transition. Moderator · Keisha [35:35]: Thank you very much. We have one gentleman up here and then the lady in the green jacket, and then I think we will have to break, unfortunately. UNDP · Tim Scott [35:42]: Thank you. I don't want to take time away from the remaining question. Tim Scott with UNDP. Indeed, the Administrator sends his regards, and if it were not for the fact that he had to be engaged in throughout the day in meetings off-site and site visits, he would of course have wanted to be here. And were he here, he would have, in addition to responding to the great questions we've heard, shared 3 key messages. First, First of all, he very much appreciates the co-leadership with UNEP and UNCTAD and all partners on this important initiative. And as the Executive Director stated in her opening remarks so eloquently, this is indeed a development issue at the core of accelerating progress on the SDGs and associated global environmental goals. Secondly, he would have pointed to the need for integrated solutions, very much in line with some of the issues raised and the good questions that connect the dots between gender, environment, biodiversity, pollution, economic growth, social inclusion, and conflict— indeed, conflict as well. And finally, he would have pointed to the need of and would have referenced how— what a good example this is of the type of coherence and coordination that UNAID reforms are all about within the UN system. And just as, if not more importantly, the importance of partnerships with the private sector, with civil society, of course with our member states, to achieve what we all want is impact on the ground, particularly for Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and gender. And as the Executive Director also pointed out, he's looking very much forward to being with many of us tomorrow, where together with UNEP and other partners who will be speaking at the critical Energy Transition Minerals event that looks at that nexus with gender. So thank you for sharing, for letting me share those thoughts. Moderator · Keisha [37:33]: Thank you very much, the representative from UNDP. Lady in the green jacket, and then I'm so sorry, we have to wrap it up. We have to, we have just a couple of minutes left. IPEN [37:42]: Thank you. I'm from IPEN, representing more than 700 NGOs in 131 countries. We are also observers in this forum. Speaker 23 [37:53]: I have a couple of questions, but probably the first one is that how this task force governed and who is funding this task force? And lastly, how will this task force related to the outcomes of UNEA since the Colombian proposal on critical minerals or metals and minerals are not yet adopted? Thank you. UNEP [38:17]: This one, and somebody else can take the 2 first, how it's governed and who is funded. We have our That's the Secretary-General of the United Nations, but I'll leave some others. But how does it relate to— in my introductory remarks, I mentioned that UNEA over the years have had a— there's a record of decisions and resolutions that have been agreed with critical reference to the mining sector. The resolution that is in the negotiations right now, and which I can't tell how it will end, is in that sequence and essentially strengthens and shines a light on the imperative that we must manage mining and extraction in an environmentally sustainable way, that we must govern it well, and that we need to look at all opportunities to ensure that we do this, and that's why these previous resolutions that I cited are quite important. So we from UNEP, we have a long history of working in this sector from the environmental point of view. Don't forget what we are doing under the Minamata Convention, where a lot of this is obviously gold mining, illegal gold mining, and where mercury is heavily used, and don't forget what we are doing under Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm, not mining, but nevertheless, from IPEN you know very well the chemicals dimension. And so it relates indirectly because this is the mandate of this organization to deal with the environmental impact and use the precautionary principle and ensure that we protect whether it's biodiversity, whether it's water, whether it's etc., etc. So that's the link. that we see. We'll see where the resolution actually lands and what it demands of UNEP and what it commits member states to do. But maybe you can respond on who governs and how is it funded. UN · Special Advisor to the SG on Climate Action and Just Transition · Selwyn Hart [40:18]: Yes, the task force will report to the Secretary-General. Our 3 leads are UNDP, UNEP, and the and UNCTAD, but the entire system really will be supporting the implementation of the different clusters and implementation of the in-country work. It is all hands on deck under the able and excellent leadership of UNDP, UNEP, and UNCTAD. TAD, and of course they will be reporting to the Secretary-General. As Pedro said earlier, a lot of this work builds on what many of these UN system entities are already doing, right? So it's, it's not creating necessarily a new bureaucratic structure, or— No. It is building on what is already being done. And if there are new areas, we will look for voluntary contributions to support that work. So it's already building— it's building on what is already being done from a funding perspective. And if there are gaps and areas, certainly our office, we don't do implementation in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General. We support our partners, but we will be providing lots of political support to address any potential funding gaps so that this work can be done, given the urgency of many of the issues that you heard this morning. Thank you. Moderator · Keisha [42:12]: Thank you very much. That is all the time we have, distinguished colleagues. A huge thanks to our panel and stakeholders for the discussion, and we wish the new task force great success as they embark on their mission to move from recommendation to action. Thanks all. Have a wonderful day. Thank you.