Natural resources governance: the foundation of peace, security and prosperity - Security Council, Open Debate

The 10,200th meeting of the Security Council is called to order. The provisional agenda for this meeting is Maintenance of International Peace and Security. Natural Resources Governance: The Foundation of Peace, Security, and Prosperity. The agenda is adopted. I would like to warmly welcome the Secretary-General, the distinguished ministers, and other high-level representatives present in the Security Council chamber. Your presence today underscores the importance of the subject matter under discussion. Before each of you is a list of speakers who have requested to participate in accordance with Rules 37 and 39 of the Council's Provisional Rules of Procedure, as well as previous practice of the Council in this regard. We propose that they be invited to participate in this meeting. There being no objection, It is so decided. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of item 2 of the agenda. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2026/552, a letter dated 1 July 2026 from the Permanent Representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the United Nations, addressed to the Secretary-General, transmitted submitting a concept paper on the item under consideration. I now give the floor to the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Antonio Guterres.

Excellency, Madam Teres Kayekwamba Wagner, and I apologize for the difficulties with the pronunciation. Your Excellency, Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Francophonie of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Excellencies, I thank the Democratic Republic of the Congo for its leadership on the important issue that brings us here today. Across the world, the control and exploitation of natural resources are dramatically altering the causes, dynamics, and outcomes of conflicts. Critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements are gaining in strategic importance. Surging demand from global markets is creating vital opportunities to advance development in producing countries, but it is also driving intense geopolitical competition, putting pressure on concentrated supply chains and fueling conflict, with dire humanitarian consequences. All too often, revenues from illicit exploitation of natural resources are pushing peace out of reach by strengthening armed and criminal actors, connecting local violence to regional and international networks, and weakening incentives for political compromise. We see it in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where armed groups have reaped the benefits of illegal mining and mineral smuggling. And civilians have paid the price of ongoing conflict, as noted in successive reports from the group of experts mandated by this Council. And we see it in Sudan, too, where a bitter fight for political and territorial dominance has been fueled by the exploitation of natural resources, notably gold and gum arabic, leading to atrocities and displacing millions. Everywhere, the greatest burden falls on the least powerful— women and children and communities displaced from the land that holds the wealth. That is why today's open debate is so timely. Madam President, the Security Council has long recognized that illicit trade and exploitation of natural resources play a significant role in financing armed groups, fueling conflicts, and aggravating humanitarian crises. And you have taken action to cut off these flows with mandates for relevant UN peace operations to support national authorities in curbing illicit exploitation by armed groups, calls for stronger accountability of regional and international actors, and the adoption of sanctions regimes, notably concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Libya, and al-Shabaab, to curtail the illicit trade of natural resources and prevent revenues from fueling violence. I commend the work of the panels and group of experts supporting you in these efforts by documenting violations, tracing supply chains, And identifying the commercial and financial networks that armed actors use to generate revenue. This knowledge must inform our search for solutions.

Looking ahead, I see 4 urgent priorities. First, justice. We must ensure mineral development delivers fair and sustainable outcomes for resource-endowed countries and communities. It is time to break the age-old pattern where resources are extracted, value is captured elsewhere, and impoverished communities are left behind to cope with the environmental and socio-economic damage. And it is time to close the gap between a State's recognized sovereignty over its natural resources and its sovereign rights in practice. Nowhere is this sovereignty deficit wider than in Africa, where the enduring consequences of colonialism, coupled with governance challenges, put states at a deep disadvantage when seeking to capture or reinvest the value that lies in their natural resources. The UN Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals shows some of the ways we can shift this dynamic. Through responsible investing, fair value chains, in-country processing and manufacturing, transparency, environmental and human rights standards, and meaningful benefits for affected communities. Countries and communities must benefit, first and most, from the resources in their own backyard. That is why the United Nations is supporting national authorities to strengthen governance and institutions improve regulatory frameworks, and ensure minerals contribute to development and peacebuilding. We are supporting efforts to strengthen national capacity to negotiate equitable mining agreements, expand domestic processing and refining, manage public revenues, and mitigate adverse social and environmental impacts. The UN Environment Programme and the UN Economic Commission for Africa are helping advance these efforts in the DRC, Mozambique, Uganda and Zambia, with financing from the Joint SDG Fund. Second, prevention. We must curb illicit flows and strengthen transparency across mineral supply chains. Natural resources are often extracted in one country, transported through another, processed elsewhere and ultimately sold on global markets. Effective action must address the full value chain, not just the point of extraction. Cooperation among producing, transit and consuming States is vital in closing regulatory and enforcement gaps. International and regional organizations, financial institutions and industry all have an important role to play, as seen in last week's announcement that the European Union will ban the purchase, import and transfer of gold from Sudan, and to ban exports to Sudan of mercury and cyanide that feed its extraction. Together, they can help prevent illicit-sourced resources from entering legitimate markets, through enforceable legal frameworks and stronger traceability, due diligence and information sharing. At the same time, we need stronger regional cooperation to narrow the gaps between national systems that armed groups and criminal networks exploit. Third, peaceful settlement of disputes. We must make greater use of the tools outlined in Chapter VI of the Charter, which I will discuss here in greater detail tomorrow, including when disputes over natural resources affect the prospects for peace. Questions of access, ownership, territorial control, revenue sharing and local benefits are often political issues, not merely technical ones. Where they materially shape the interests of the parties or the viability of an agreement, they should inform political analysis and peaceful means of settling disputes, including good offices and mediation. This can help identify workable arrangements, address incentives for continued conflict, and create areas of cooperation in support of a wider political settlement. And fourth, climate. We must ensure that preventive and political efforts take climate analysis into account. Drought, flooding, environmental degradation and ecosystem loss often reduce access to land, water and minerals. And when that happens, the ripple effects can cut off livelihoods, strain institutions, heighten tensions and even spark violence. That is why we are supporting national and regional partners in identifying where environmental pressures, displacement and competition over natural resources may compound existing grievances, and where early engagement could help prevent escalation. The UN Regional Office for Central Africa, for example, is integrating climate, peace and security analysis into early warning and planning in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad and the DRC. And in Abiyeh, UNEP, the Office of the Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa and UNISFA are supporting locally-led peacebuilding in a context where environmental degradation and climate-related pressures compound protracted political tensions. Engagement around management of shared natural resources has created practical entry points for dialogue, cooperation and confidence-building. Madam President, the challenge is to transform the way natural resources are extracted, processed, brought to market and put to use, guaranteeing that much more added value is retained by producing countries and affected communities. No more exploitation. No more plundering. And we must deny armed groups and criminal networks the revenues that fuel protracted conflict. If we fail to act, the illicit exploitation of natural resources will continue to drive inequality, instability and violence. Instead, they must be managed in ways that help finance inclusive and sustainable development, strengthen institutions and advance peace and prosperity for all. Ultimately, this is a political choice. And I urge you, as members of this Council, to choose peace and prosperity.

Thank you.

And I thank you.

I thank the Secretary General for his briefing. I now give the floor to Ms. Ngozi Nkondwo-Iweala.

Thank you, Madam President. Your Excellency, Madam Thérèse Kayikonda, President of the Security Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Thank you, General.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, my sincere thanks to DRC and President Tshisekedi for his invitation to come and brief the Security Council and for convening this important high-level debate, and to other Security Council members who have brought this topic to the UN's attention in the past. I also want to thank the Secretary-General for his leadership, on the critical minerals issue and for his insightful briefing. It's an honor to be back here. The last time I was here was in 2009, when, as Managing Director of the World Bank, I addressed the UN Security Council on peacebuilding issues, a mandate that feels especially relevant today because good natural resource governance is peacebuilding by another name. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, we stand at an inflection point. We meet at a moment where multilateralism is weakened and under unprecedented strain. Strategic rivalries are intensifying, conflicts are escalating, communities are hurting. Trade has become a battleground for geopolitical tensions, and global trade is experiencing the worst disruption it has seen in 80 years. I often say we are going through a global stress test, and it's one we cannot fail. The world needs global cooperation and multilateralism more than ever, but it must be a reformed multilateralism, a modernized, more flexible, and faster-moving multilateralism that innovates in the face of fast-changing technologies. But today, what I want to emphasize is that within these disruptions, we see opportunities. Surging global demand for critical minerals should represent a once-in-a-generation chance for Africa and other resource-rich developing geographies to harness new wealth, to accelerate industrial development, and to lift the living standards of millions. These opportunities should become the foundation for peace and prosperity, not conflict and poverty. But history also demonstrates how a resource blessing can all too easily become a resource curse, weakening government accountability, encouraging corruption, triggering violence, sustaining conflict, and deepening insecurity and poverty. A variety of initiatives put in place by the UN, by civil society, by affected countries and the international community have helped, including the Kimberley Process and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. But they've not been sufficient to make natural resources a force for peace. And now geopolitics threatens to globalize what used to be mainly domestic problems with security implications for the wider international community. Critical minerals are increasingly viewed as strategic assets, not just commodities, and a major source of interstate competition. As major economies race to secure exclusive resource supply arrangements and deploy market access as leverage, There is a real risk that conflicts will rise, that resource capture will take priority over broader economic, developmental, and environmental goals, and that developing economies will find themselves locked even more into the lowest-value segments of production whilst the highest-value jobs, technologies, and profits go elsewhere. My message today is simple: mineral wealth is not inherently a blessing or a curse. It's a powerful catalyst of incentives, for governments, firms, local communities, and foreign powers alike. Whether these incentives lead to prosperity or conflict, to effective states or failed ones, to global cooperation or geopolitical fragmentation, depends on the domestic and international policies and institutions that shape them. Our task is to change the incentives. We need to fundamentally change the way that resource-rich developing countries generate growth and share wealth. We need to see mineral wealth not just as a resource to be extracted and shipped abroad, but as a catalyst for economic transformation. Despite this difficult moment for multilateralism, there is a real opportunity to advance socioeconomic development, build resilience and stability, and create a more diversified, inclusive, and win-win global economy. Let me suggest 3 priorities. First, move from rent extraction and dependency to value creation. Resource-rich states are fundamentally right to demand more local processing, refining, and value addition. This is not just about capturing a larger share of the economic pie; it's about shifting society's incentives. When an economy depends on integrated production, modern infrastructure, and a skilled workforce, governments are more accountable and have structural incentives to strengthen the rule of law, invest in education and training, and improve roads, electricity grids, and digital networks. When production is rooted in value addition, with local processing, manufacturing, and local suppliers, it is easier for all stakeholders— governments, private sector, local communities, and interested external governments on the demand side— to keep track of the exploitation and movement of mined critical minerals. It is also easier for governments to tax and regulate it, and harder for paramilitary groups to extract and capture. When resource mining benefits the whole community, not just mine owners, the community as a whole has a stake in its success. They will work to safeguard this success and act against those seeking to undermine it. In other words, moving up the ladder to a value-added economy helps ensure that growth and wealth are shared by the many and not captured by a few. It's not just an imperative for development and socioeconomic inclusion, it's a peacebuilding imperative. Global trade resilience is enhanced when communities that have been on the margins of the multilateral trading system can be further integrated into global trade, through value addition that also decentralizes and diversifies supply chains. Countries and communities benefit through a greater share of global trade, while the international community benefits through greater resilience arising from the decentralization of supply chains. At the World Trade Organization, we call this phenomenon re-globalization, a movement that can better prosper and protect the world. For decades now, Africa's share of global trade has remained below 3% because Africa's trade is still 60% commodities. Focusing on value addition of critical minerals will increase the continent's share of global trade whilst enhancing peace, providing jobs, and building prosperity. Africa has the clean energy potential to make this work in a sustainable and climate-friendly manner. The world needs to tap into the solar, geothermal, hydro, wind, and other renewable energy resources on the continent to deliver a win-win for critical minerals value addition. Second, strengthen the international rule of law, not the rule of power. Multilateral cooperation checks power imbalances, helping to turn competition over critical minerals from a zero-sum contest for leverage into a positive-sum opportunity for investment and value creation and shared prosperity. An open, rules-based global economy can help resource-rich developing countries move up the value chain, providing diversified markets, access to investment and technology, and a strong foundation for building bilateral relations. Good multilateralism supports higher-quality bilateralism. Fragmentation does the opposite. It magnifies power imbalances and encourages exploitation, coercion, and the weaponization of critical minerals. This is where the World Trade Organization can play a key role. Rules on transparency and non-discrimination reduce the opportunity and incentive to use economic power to extract preferential treatment or pressure smaller producer countries into arrangements that trade into exclusive arrangements that trade for long-term value does not capture, rather than focus on short-term gain. At the same time, World Trade Organization rules preserve policy space for legitimate industrial development, including local processing and value addition. But these rules are not perfect, just as multilateralism is not perfect. They need to be reformed, strengthened, and updated, but all countries, and especially smaller and weaker ones, are better off in a system that rewards cooperation under shared rules than one that rewards unchecked power. Third, and most importantly, producer countries must exercise agency and ask, what do I have to do to become a better partner to those who seek to cooperate with me, and what do I have to do to become more self-reliant? Producer countries cannot depend on external actors to police supply chains or encourage local value-added production. Major economies act in their own interests and have every incentive to put their own energy, industrial, and national security interests first, to carve out preferential deals, and to keep suppliers locked in the business of raw extraction. But this dynamic can be changed into win-win outcomes. Africa and other resource-rich developing geographies have leverage of their own. The world cannot achieve energy security, the green transition, or digital transformation without them. Africa alone has roughly 30% of the world's critical minerals, and less than half of its mineral reserves have been explored. The DRC accounts for over 70% of global cobalt production. South Africa holds the world's largest reserves of platinum and manganese, and Zambia and the DRC are major copper producers. 10 to 12 African countries have commercially exploitable reserves of lithium and 15 to 20 commercially exploitable deposits of rare earths. To turn leverage into power, producer countries must work together. The G20 Critical Minerals Framework agreed last year under South Africa's presidency outlines some key objectives: establishing sub-regional processing hubs and value chains, strengthening cross-border infrastructure and payment systems, enforcing strong environmental and social standards, and actively diversifying global trade links and markets. This is also why, for African countries, fully implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area is vital. It would expand regional markets, establish common standards, and increase the continent's market power. Afreximbank's recent Africa Trade Report shows how building regional battery and EV supply chains in mineral-rich countries like DRC, Zambia, and Zimbabwe could help reverse the continent's pattern of exporting raw materials and importing finished goods. Cooperation is also key to attracting needed investment, engaging the world on producer countries' own terms, not depending on any single actor. The WTO's Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement, backed by 131 of our 166 members, most of them developing countries, is exactly the kind of de-risking tool Africa and other regions need, to channel investment into value-added production. Value-added production, rules-based trade, and African-led industrial cooperation will help ensure that critical minerals move through legitimate channels rather than armed ones. I'm pleased to see that several African countries and leaders are moving in this direction, working with multilateral finance organizations and other external partners. The DRC-Zambia-Angola Lobito Corridor Project, in partnership with the EU, the USA, Italy, African Development Bank, the World Bank Group, and the European Investment Bank, as well as the African Finance Corporation, shows progress. The corridor must become the prime example for sub-regional value-added minerals processing and manufacturing, not extraction. and shipping of minerals. Morocco's EV batteries value chain and other efforts underway in Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria to create critical minerals from renewable energy value chains shows promise. Building out value chains takes time, but to build peace, we have no time to lose, so present efforts must be accelerated. In the meantime, we need this Council to continue helping choke off the illegitimate channels for critical minerals, for the critical minerals trade, by sustaining support for regional due diligence and traceability mechanisms, consistently enforcing existing sanctions regimes against armed groups profiting from smuggled minerals, and providing political backing for regional cooperation frameworks, as the Secretary-General said. One additional idea worth exploring: a reciprocal critical minerals market information system modeled on the G20's agricultural market information system, built incrementally and paired with real commitments on benefit sharing. This is not only work for this Council. The UN system, regional organizations, international financial institutions, the private sector and civil society groups all have roles to play. The WTO's own trade policy review mechanism could help keep these traceability and enforcement efforts in the global spotlight. Economic policy and security policy must reinforce each other here, or neither will hold. This very Council backed Southern African nations once before when they built the Kimberley Process to stop the trade in blood diamonds. Today's opportunity is the same, to build a firewall against geopolitical exploitation. The minerals beneath Africa or any developing region's soil should never help to finance the conflicts above it. Resource curse is not destiny. Incentives can be rewritten. Extraction or transformation, secrecy or transparency, fragmentation or rules-based cooperation.

Thank you.

Our choices, your choices, will matter. The biggest choices are for resource-rich countries themselves. Agency, like charity, begins at home. Today's geopolitical competition presents a challenge, but also an enormous opportunity. As the DRC presidency has rightly framed it, this is our chance to replace the vicious circle of the resource curse with the virtuous circle of the resource blessing. I hope we can seize it. Thank you for your attention.

I thank Ms. Okonjo-Iweala for her statement. I will now make a statement in my capacity as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Francophonie of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and I have the honor of reading out the address of His Excellency Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who regrettably was unable to be with us today due to unavoidable circumstances. Secretary-General of the United Nations, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, members of the Security Council, it is with great pride and a profound sense of responsibility that the Democratic Republic of the Congo assumes during this month of July the presidency of the United Nations Security Council. To preside over this Council means to take on, for a time, a share of our world's collective responsibility. It means recalling that this body is called on not only to respond to crises when they erupt, but also to identify the factors that foreshadow them in order to better prevent them. Over the decades, the Security Council has demonstrated its ability to adapt its action to the threats of each era. Today, one reality is asserting itself with growing clarity: the governance of natural resources has become a major issue for international peace and security. It is this conviction that has led my country to place this debate on the agenda of our Council in order to invite the international community to take a fresh look at one of the major drivers of contemporary conflict. For the world has changed. Critical minerals, water, forests, energy resources, arable lands, and biodiversity now lie at the heart of the energy transition, the digital revolution, food security, and economic development. Never have natural resources mattered so much for the future of humanity. Yet in many regions of the world, They continue to fuel conflict, finance armed groups, sustain criminal economies, weaken states, and deprive populations of the legitimate benefits of their own wealth. Such is the paradox of our time. Natural resources can be the foundation of shared prosperity or the engine of predation. Everything depends on how they are governed. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, this question is neither theoretical nor a remote one. It touches on our history, our people, and our future. Our country is among the richest of the world in natural resources— its strategic minerals, its hydroelectric potential, its vast arable lands, its exceptional biodiversity, and the Congo Basin, The dismantling of armed groups, the drying up of their financing networks, and putting an end to networks that allow minerals from conflict zones to enter global supply chains. When strategic resources finance war rather than development, it is no longer merely a national challenge. It is a threat to international peace and security. There can be no truly just energy transition if it is built on injustice toward producing peoples. There can be no genuinely secure supply chains without security for the states and communities that produce these resources. That is why the Democratic Republic of the Congo does not come before the Security Council to complain. It comes to share an experience, to convey a conviction, and to propose a path forward. For the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is not an exception. It reveals a global imbalance to which only collective action grounded in equity and responsibility can bring a lasting response. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the Charter of the United Nations entrusts us with an essential responsibility: preserving international peace and security. This responsibility does not consist solely in responding to crises once they break out. It also requires that our Council be able to identify their root causes and act before tensions degenerate into conflict. Over the years, the Security Council has been able to adapt its approach to emerging threats. It now falls to the Council to recognize with the same clear-sightedness that the poor governance of natural resources constitutes a major factor of instability, conflict, and the weakening of states. Such recognition in no way calls into question the sovereignty of states. On the contrary, it helps to protect it because permanent sovereignty over natural resources cannot merely be proclaimed. It must be fully exercised so that national wealth benefits the people rather than armed groups, criminal networks, or interests that thrive on illegality. Natural resources must finance development, strengthen the capacities of states, and generate more value within producing countries. For Africa, this means moving beyond an economy based solely on extraction to build one of processing, industrialization, and shared prosperity. This is a requirement of economic justice. It is also an essential condition for lasting peace. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, history teaches us that a strategic resource can be a source of rivalry or the foundation of a common destiny. In the aftermath of the Second World War, Europe chose to turn coal and steel, once at the heart of conflict, into the foundations of lasting cooperation through the European Coal and Steel Community. That initiative demonstrated that a strategic resource, when governed in a spirit of trust and shared interest, can become an instrument of peace. The Kimberley Process, supported by the Security Council through its Resolution 1459 of 2003, showed that collective action could limit the role of natural resources in financing conflict and strengthen the accountability of all actors along the trade chain. In Asia, the Lancang-Mekong Basin illustrates how a shared resource can become a framework for dialogue and cooperation. In Eurasia, the governance of the Caspian Sea reminds us that shared strategic resources call for jointly agreed rules and shared responsibility in the service of regional stability. Everywhere else, mechanisms for certification, traceability, and regional cooperation show that no solution is perfect, but that all of them converge towards the same conviction: well-governed resources can become factors of trust, stability, and prosperity. That lesson is more relevant today than ever. The 21st century is the century of critical minerals, water, forests, energy, and biodiversity. The question before us is simple: will we have the wisdom to make these resources the foundations of shared prosperity, or will we accept that they continue to fuel the rivalries and conflicts of our time? Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, In light of this responsibility, the Democratic Republic of the Congo calls for the emergence of a new international doctrine that places the governance of natural resources at the heart of the peace and security agenda. This doctrine rests on a simple conviction: natural resources are not mere commodities. They represent matters of sovereignty, levers of development, and assets of responsibility on which the stability of our states and the future of our societies depend. That doctrine should be built around 6 principles. The first is effective respect for the permanent sovereignty of states over their natural resources. No people should see its wealth exploited for the benefit of armed groups, criminal networks, or interests beyond its control. The second is transparency in supply chains. Producing states, transit countries, Businesses, investors, and consumers all share responsibility for guaranteeing the lawful origin of the resources that power the technologies of the future. The third is strengthening the mechanisms for traceability, certification, due diligence, and accountability in order to protect communities, support producing states, and hold all actors in the value chain accountable. The fourth is the fight against economic impunity. Those who finance conflict through the illegal exploitation of natural resources must be held accountable for their actions. As long as predatory economies remain more profitable than respect for the law, peace will remain fragile. The fifth is the promotion of fair and mutually beneficial partnerships. Producing countries are not asking for favors or charity. They are asking for equity, respect, and partnerships that create value promote industrialization, and durably improve people's living conditions. And finally, the 6th is the local anchoring of this governance. The populations living in the heart of extraction zones must be protected, included in decision-making, and must benefit from the returns on the resources that constitute their heritage. Because a resource that enriches the world while impoverishing the community that hosts it will sooner or later become a source of frustration, unrest, and instability. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the DRC takes the floor today with the gravity of a country tested by history, but also with the confidence of a nation that is rising again, taking charge of its destiny, and is determined to put its immense potential at the service of peace, development, and international cooperation. Our ambition is clear: to make sure that our natural resources are no longer a source of vulnerability, but rather that they are a lever for transformation, stability, and shared prosperity. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a country of solutions. It is a country of solutions for the global energy transition, thanks to its critical minerals, for the fight against climate change, thanks to the Congo Basin, for Africa's water, energy, and food security. Thanks to its water resources, hydroelectric potential, and vast arable lands; for the preservation of global biodiversity, thanks to its exceptional natural heritage; and for Africa's industrialization, provided that its resources are processed to a greater extent locally to the benefit of value creation, employment, and skills development. But in order for the Democratic Republic of the Congo to fully play its role, it must be at peace. And for that peace to be lasting, the economic sources of the war must be dried up. That is why the debate that brings us today together today goes beyond our national context alone. It is African, it is global. It concerns producing and consuming countries, international institutions as well as regional organizations, economic actors as well as and as much as future generations, because we are bound together by the same supply chains, the same climate challenges, and the same demand for security and dignity. Our approach seeks neither to pit producers against consumers nor to create new fault lines. It rests on a simple conviction: in an interdependent world, the security of supply chains, the stability of producing states, and the development of local populations are inseparable. A supply chain is only truly secure if it is just. A partnership is only lasting if it is balanced. An energy transition is only legitimate if it respects the rights and dignity of the peoples who supply the resources on which it depends. It is in this spirit that the Democratic Republic of the Congo hopes that today's debate will launch a lasting momentum. The legitimate concerns of states must be heard because a common doctrine is built neither through imposition nor through division. But through dialogue, trust, and the search for common ground. That is why my country supports the creation of a Group of Friends on the Governance of Natural Resources, bringing together interested UN member states, the United Nations, regional organizations, and international financial institutions, producing and consuming countries, responsible economic actors, and civil society. Its mission would be to sustain permanent dialogue, share best practices, strengthen existing mechanisms, and formulate in a progressive and pragmatic manner proposals to better integrate natural resource-related issues into the work of the UN and where that falls within its mandate of the Security Council as well. Such is the spirit of the approach we propose, one that respects the sovereignty of states, strengthens their governance, protects populations, holds markets accountable, and turns natural resources into foundations of lasting peace rather than vectors of conflict. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, history rarely remembers the length of our debates, but it remembers the courage of our decisions. Every generation is called upon to meet the challenges of its time. Ours must recognize that natural resources are no longer merely an economic issue. They have become a major issue of peace, security, justice, and prosperity. We can continue to intervene only once crises have already erupted, or we can act upstream, tackling the predatory economies that fuel them. We can accept that the resources of the 21st century continue to finance conflict, or we can decide that they will instead finance development, innovation, and the dignity of peoples. Such is the choice before us. Such is the responsibility that falls to our generation. Thank you. Such is the ambition that the Democratic Republic of the Congo brings today before the Security Council. Natural resources must no longer be the frontiers of our rivalries. They must become the foundations of our collective security. If we can make minerals, water, forests, energy, and biodiversity instruments of cooperation rather than confrontation, then we will be able to say that the Security Council has been true to its mission. And history will remember that here at the United Nations, the international community chose to ensure that natural resources are no longer the legacy of our divisions, but rather the foundations of our shared destiny. Thank you. I resume my functions as the President of the Council, and I now give the floor to Her Excellency Ms. Irene Vélez Torres, Acting Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia.

Madam President, Minister Kayed Kwamba, allow me to thank you for convening this extremely relevant debate for the Global South. I wish to extend a particular greeting to Secretary-General Guterres, who joins us today, colleagues, representatives of the Security Council. We know that strategic minerals are essential to the energy transition. Without them, it will be impossible to deploy at the scale and speed required the clean energy generation, storage, and transmission technologies needed to progressively phase out fossil fuels. However, the increasing demand for these minerals threatens to trigger a new extractive boom without adequate oversight and with enormous impacts on territories and communities. Given the large share of these minerals is located in the Global South, where the planet's most biodiverse ecosystems and historically impoverished populations are also concentrated, we cannot allow this region once again to bear the environmental and social costs of extraction that colonialism taught us. More so, we cannot allow these benefits to continue to accrue in the Global North while the Global South remains in the dark and continues to experience the world's highest levels of energy poverty. Our task, therefore, is to build a robust international governance framework capable of preventing and correcting the patterns of inequality and dispossession that have historically accompanied the exploitation of natural resources, which have been referred to as a curse. In Colombia, more than 90% of mineral production comes from artisanal and small-scale mining. This is an activity that supports thousands of families across the country and which the state seeks to strengthen through formalization processes and technical assistance. However, where governance is lacking, criminal economies capture parts of the production and supply chains. Gold is the best example of this. Nearly 85% of the gold produced in Colombia comes from non-formalized mining, and around 70% of that gold is associated with activities carried out by by organized armed groups, criminal groups operating outside the law. In addition, these same illegal gold mining activities use around 150 to 205 tons of mercury annually that pollute rivers and territories in 26 of the country's 32 departments. But the illicit extraction of minerals isn't merely an environmental crime. It is also an economic and financial one. Allow me to explain. Illicit mining economies both finance armed organizations and they coordinate with other criminal environmental crimes in deforestation in the Amazon, with drugs trafficking. And thirdly, they are sustained through transnational networks— I repeat, transnational networks— that are involved in trafficking mining inputs, money laundering, and the illicit trade of minerals, particularly money laundering coming from outside the country. This phenomenon affects not only gold, but increasingly other strategic minerals whose demand is rising rapidly. Addressing this challenge means looking beyond the place where the minerals are extracted. It means delocalizing the problem. It's essential to ensure the traceability of the entire supply chain, from the inputs used in extraction and to the minerals, their trade routes, and the financial flows that ultimately legalize proceeds derived from illicit activities. We're talking about the need for a genuine principle of shared global responsibility. And the commitment or responsibility cannot rest solely with producing countries. Countries where these minerals are refined, processed, and consumed should also ensure traceability, exercise due diligence, and prevent these minerals from entering legitimate international economies. Neither international markets nor the urgent drive towards electrification should benefit from these minerals without both corporations and beneficiary countries assuming their responsibility for the conditions under which they were extracted and traded. We need to move towards geopolitical justice in the governance of these minerals. And to that end, Colombia, at the 7th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly, UNEA 7, Colombia promoted the consensus adoption of a resolution that under the leadership of UNEP will launch a 2-year intergovernmental dialogue aimed at laying the foundations for international governance of minerals for the energy transition. We call for this process to be launched as soon as possible, this in keeping with the urgency of the challenges that we face today. This UNEA 3 resolution and the task force on the critical energy transition minerals promoted by the Secretary-General both demonstrate that the multilateral system has now begun to develop responses on strategic minerals and how to better govern them. The challenge now is to ensure that these efforts move forward in a coordinated manner and with the urgency that this historic moment demands. Both processes offer an opportunity to advance common rules that strengthen supply chain traceability, promote closer cooperation, and close the loopholes that currently enable criminal economies to infiltrate international markets. The challenge before us is not simply to ensure a sufficient supply of the minerals needed to make the energy transition possible. It is to decide under which principles, which rules, and with which global mechanisms we will govern these resources. That decision will determine whether the extraction of strategic minerals deepens inequality and environmental degradation or instead becomes a foundation for peace and for justice.

Thank you.

I thank Ms. Vélez Torres for her statement, and I now give the floor to the representative of Denmark.

Thank you, Madam President. And at the outset, I would like to warmly welcome you, Your Excellency, and thank you and the Presidency of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for convening this timely debate. The experience of the DRC indeed reminds us why the international community must ensure that natural wealth serves as a driver of prosperity, not a source of conflict and instability. I also thank the Secretary-General for his briefing and the Director-General of the WTO for her valuable insights. I'll make 3 points. First, the link between natural resources, violence, and instability is all too clear. In the DRC, armed groups have for decades financed their activities through the illicit exploitation of minerals and the control of mining sites and trade routes, fueling violence, instability, and widespread human rights violations. In Sudan, particularly in Darfur, gold has become a key source of financing for parties to the conflict, helping to sustain the war economy and prolong the violence. And as the Secretary-General has mentioned, the European Union recently banned the import of gold from Sudan for this very reason. In West Africa and the Sahel, terrorist groups and other armed groups have increasingly exploited gold mining and other natural resources to expand their influence in areas where state presence is limited. And beyond Africa, similar dynamics have been observed in Myanmar, and Colombia, as we just heard from Her Excellency the Minister, and previously in Afghanistan, as well as in parts of Iraq and Syria. In each of these countries, natural resources are used as a tool in the economy of war to gain and retain control over territory and populations, and to finance armed activities. This is often accompanied by brutal repression tactics, including sexual and gender-based violence. Denmark encourages this Council to make better use of the tools it already has at its disposal, including sanctions, accountability mechanisms, panels of experts, and reporting mandates, to disrupt the illicit financial flows that sustain armed groups. It is time to make the exploitation and weaponization of natural resources more costly than their responsible and peaceful management. Second, Madam President, we recognize that existing frameworks have grown increasingly complex. What is needed, however, is stronger compliance and more diligent implementation. We can strengthen responsible and transparent supply chains— excuse me— by supporting producer countries with technical assistance, traceability, and due diligence, rather than adding new layers of bureaucracy. Denmark stands ready to work with all stakeholders to promote transparency, responsible natural resource governance, and sustainable development. Third, Madam President, there is no energy transition without critical minerals. Every solar panel, every wind turbine, and every modern battery for electric vehicles depends on minerals from a small number of producing countries. These resources are fundamental for our collective ability to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and net-zero emissions by 2050, as well as the broader ambitions of sustainable development through the 2030 Agenda. The minerals powering the green transition must also generate local economic value, employment, and inclusive economic development for the communities where they're extracted. It should be a win-win, as the Director-General of the WTO has reminded us. This requires transparent governments and the meaningful participation of civil society and workers, with full respect for human rights. In closing, Madam President, critical minerals are indispensable for our common future, but their extraction must never come at the expense of the peace, human rights, and the security of local populations. Let us ensure that natural resources become a source of prosperity for producing countries and communities, not a driver of conflict. Denmark stands ready to work with all parties toward that goal.

Thank you.

I thank the representative of Denmark for the statement, and I now give the floor to the representative of Liberia.

Thank you.

Thank you, Your Excellency. Liberia joins in welcoming The distinguished presence of Her Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as the host of Excellencies and distinguished ministers honoring the Council with their presence. We commend the Democratic Republic of the Congo for convening this critical debate And thank the distinguished briefers, the UN Secretary-General and the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, for their insightful and qualified interventions. Excellencies, for many nations, including my own, natural resources stand at the sharp Yes. The diamond is at the sharp intersection of promise and peril. A 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. Liberia knows this duality not as abstract theory, but as our history. Through Resolution 1521, This council acted against the timber and diamonds that fueled our civil conflict. Yet, through national reforms, domestic political will, and international frameworks like the Kimberley Process, those same resources became the bedrock of our economic recovery. Our story proves a simple truth: natural wealth need not be a death sentence for peace. Your Excellencies, this debate is urgent. The UN Environment Programme notes that 40% of internal conflicts over the last 60 years are linked to natural resources, and those conflicts are twice as likely to relapse. Today, as global demand for critical minerals surges to power the energy transition, We face a pivotal moment. We must not power a clean energy future with dirty supply chains. To turn principles into protection, we offer 5 concrete actions. First, Treat resource governance as conflict prevention. Transparency is not an economic preference. It is, in truth, a security imperative. Standards like EITI, beneficial ownership registries, and digital traceability are not administrative burdens. They are tools to starve armed groups of capital they need to ply their trade. Second, put communities at the center of extraction. Governance without human rights gender equity, and local consent is not development. It is institutionalized grievance. Where communities are dispossessed, extraction will always breed violence. Third, build a universal borderless Traceability framework. Illicit financial flows and smuggled minerals cross borders with ease. Our legal enforcement must learn to do the same. We need an interoperable global architecture to close safe harbors for stolen wealth. Fourth, Empower regional frontline partners. The African Union, ECOWAS, and Great Lakes mechanisms possess the proximity and contextual legitimacy needed to choke off cross-border illicit trade. They must be, therefore, fully resourced.

Thank you.

Your Excellency, in closing, the so-called resource curse is not a decree of nature. It is a failure of leadership. Similarly, equitable revenue, transparent supply chains, and sovereign accountability are not secondary development goals. They are primary defense strategies. Liberia stands ready to partner with this Council to ensure our shared natural wealth becomes an enduring engine of human dignity and never again a trigger for war. I thank you for your kind attention.

Je remercie.

I thank the representative of Liberia for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Somalia.

Madame President, let me begin by expressing our sincere appreciation to the presidency of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for convening. and leading this important open debate. We also thank the Secretary-General for his insightful briefing and Director-General Okonjo-Iweala for her remarks. Today, natural resources occupy a unique place in the global landscape. They are indispensable to energy transition, technological advancement, and economic growth. Yet where governance gaps persist, illicit exploitation and trafficking fuel armed groups, undermine state authority, and prolong conflicts. It's evident that the challenge before us is not the existence of natural resources, but ensuring they are governed to promote peace, security, and sustainable development for all. In that vein, I would like to highlight the following points. First, while the security dimension is critical, the African perspective also highlights that minerals are a strategic asset for development, industrialization, and shared prosperity. For many African countries, critical minerals offer opportunities for structural transformation, job creation, and progress toward the full implementation of Agenda 2063 as well as the Sustainable Development Goals. The African Mining Vision provides a continental framework for transparent, equitable, and optimal utilization with emphasis on local value addition, industrial development, and regional integration. Therefore, our discussion should balance security concerns with the need to enable producing countries to realize sustainable, equitable benefits for their resources. Second, strengthening governance is crucial. Existing due diligence, transparency, and traceability initiatives have made progress but must be matched by sustained investment in national capacity, institutional strengthening, and technical assistance. Effective and transparent governance of supply chains requires not only standards but also robust national institutions, sound regulatory frameworks, and international partnerships. Third, Somalia supports a more coherent and comprehensive international framework in addressing the exploitation of natural resources. It should build on existing mechanisms respect national sovereignty, and avoid duplication. The Security Council has a vital role where illicit exploitation threatens international peace and security, working alongside regional organizations and holding accountable criminal networks and their backers. To conclude, Madam President, natural resources should serve as a foundation for peace, prosperity, and sustainable development, not as drivers of conflict. This requires genuine partnership, transparent governance, and equitable benefit sharing in order to deliver greater value to all, specifically producing Countries. Somalia is committed to supporting responsible natural resource governance that is nationally owned and internationally coordinated. I thank you.

Je vous remercie.

I thank the representative of Somalia for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Pakistan.

Madam President. And I would like to thank the Secretary-General for his comprehensive statement and also thank DG WTO, Madam Okonjo-Iweala, for her briefing. Madam President, natural resources have all along shaped human destiny dictating where civilization settled and how they grew and prospered. From the fertile river valleys of Mesopotamia that birthed agriculture to the coal and oil deposits that fueled the Industrial Revolution, raw materials have continually driven geopolitical power and technological innovation. Today, the strategic importance of natural resources is increasing as the world transitions towards clean energy, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, and digital technologies. Competition— rather, the scramble for natural and critical minerals is consequently becoming a defining geopolitical reality of our times. Ideally, natural resources should serve as instruments of sustainable development and prosperity. They must not become sources of conflict, coercion, or exploitation. Yet in many contexts, weak governance elicits extraction, external interference, violations of international law and the UN Charter, and the unequal distribution of benefits continue to fuel instability and conflict and exacerbate humanitarian crises. It is particularly visible in Africa. Pakistan has long stood in solidarity with African countries in their pursuit of sovereign control over their natural wealth. Africa's experience demonstrates that resource wealth can contribute to affluence with peace only when accompanied by strong institutions, transparency, national ownership, and prioritizing people's welfare. And President, DRC's own example is illustrative. For decades, the illicit exploitation and trafficking of natural resources have financed armed groups and deprived the Congolese people of the benefits of their country's immense natural wealth. Strengthened traceability mechanisms, including the lessons from the Kimberley Process, responsible supply chains, and regional cooperation are essential to disrupt conflict financing and ensure that these resources support sustainable development. And as the Secretary-General referred to justice and prevention, we also need to ensure that resource-rich developing countries are equal partners in global supply chains and value addition, rather than mere suppliers of raw materials. Responsible investment, local processing, technology transfer, skills development, and equitable revenue sharing must remain central to international cooperation. Sustainable peace cannot be achieved where immense natural wealth coexists with persistent poverty and underdevelopment. It's a recipe for conflict. Natural resource governance must remain firmly anchored in the UN Charter and international law. The right of peoples to permanent sovereignty over their natural wealth and resources, as enshrined in General Assembly Resolution 1803, remains fundamental. International cooperation must strengthen national capacities while respecting national ownership priorities and policy space. Madam President, these principles apply not only to minerals but also to water, forests, and shared ecosystems. The lawful and cooperative management of shared transboundary resources is indispensable to preventing conflict, peaceful settlement of disputes, and promoting friendly relations among neighboring states. Contrary to this spirit, our eastern neighbor has sought to weaponize water against Pakistan. By abusing its status as the Upper Riparian, unilaterally and illegally placing the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, a course of action for which neither the treaty nor the general principles of international law provide any basis whatsoever. Pakistan categorically rejects this unlawful action which directly threatens the livelihoods and well-being of over 240 million people of Pakistan. The Indus Waters Treaty remains valid, binding, and fully in force, as reaffirmed by the August 2025 award of the Court of Arbitration. No state should be permitted to abuse shared water resources as an instrument of coercion, or political pressure, much less when it breaches solemn treaty obligations. Madam President, that this is happening in the backdrop of Jammu and Kashmir dispute, a longstanding flashpoint in South Asia, carries grave risks for international peace and security. The Security Council has an important responsibility where the exploitation or weaponization of natural resources threatens international peace and security, whether through the illicit exploitation of minerals that fuels and perpetuates conflict, or the unilateral actions to exploit shared natural resources as instruments of coercion in disregard of international law and binding treaty obligations. Such actions require Council's continued vigilance. The Council should make full use of the tools at its disposal, including preventive diplomacy, peaceful resolution of disputes, sanctions regimes, and monitoring mechanisms to address these threats. Madam President, natural resources should unite nations in cooperation rather than divide them. In conflict. They must be harnessed to promote sustainable development, shared prosperity, and lasting peace. Pakistan remains committed to working with all member states to ensure that the world's natural wealth serves the interests of humanity, strengthens international cooperation, and contributes to a more peaceful, stable, and equitable world. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Pakistan for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of the Russian Federation.

Madam Minister, Madam President, we welcome your personal participation in this open debate organized by the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Today's discussion, with the contribution of the Secretary-General and the Director-General of the WTO, whom we also extend our greetings to today, just like the meeting— the ARIA Formula Council meeting held on July 13th under your presidency— testifies not only to the importance of today's topic, But also shows some difference in the approaches to regulating the sphere of natural resources. The assertion that there is a link between conflicts and natural resources is well-founded. However, it depends on the circumstances of each specific situation. The desire of certain states to acquire the natural wealth of others for next to nothing has often been and continues to be a cause of profound security crises. One need only recall the military interventions in Iraq, Libya, and Syria, where the battle for political influence was accompanied by a struggle for natural resources. Today's crisis in the Middle East, too, is in large part linked to questions of control over key energy and transport corridors. Including the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of the world's hydrocarbon supplies pass. Ukraine is also no exception. For a number of Western states, it is of interest not only as a geopolitical foothold, but also as a source of rich agricultural resources and critically important minerals, including rare earth mineral elements. And they do not even hesitate to admit this publicly. Unfortunately, the resource issue is a particularly pressing one on the African continent's agenda. Armed conflicts in Africa often follow natural resources. Blood minerals are used to finance hostilities and the activities of numerous illegal armed groups. Conflict zones are expanding, the intensity of those conflicts is growing, and illegal armed groups are fighting states for control over mineral deposits. The largest crisis hotspots in Africa, such as, for example, the eastern DRC, are a vivid illustration of how this endless vicious circle has for decades fueled security threats to African states. An additional aggravating factor is the drive to secure uninterrupted access to minerals deemed critical to the energy transition. As we can see in the fight for Africa's natural resources, every method possible is being used, from unequal cooperation to corruption, blackmail, threats. Interference in internal affairs, and fomenting armed conflicts. Madam President, it is states themselves that bear primary responsibility for the sovereign management of their natural resources and determine the ways in which they are to be developed and used in accordance with national interests and development priorities. We are convinced that there is not and cannot be a universal model of natural resource governance that is equally suitable for everyone. We have noted that certain experts, as well as representatives of member states, are effectively arguing that the sovereignty of states over natural resources is not an imperative and can only be realized only on condition of some form of good governance ensuring transparency and traceability. We cannot agree with such an approach. We believe that what lies behind the imposition of these conditions is the same notorious and predatory attitude towards the countries of the Global South that we have seen for more than 500 years. A vivid example is the distribution of revenues from the sale of an ordinary package of coffee. According to the International Coffee Organization, the global market for this product has in recent years been valued at approximately $200 billion. Yet producer countries retain only about $20 billion of this in export earnings, just one-tenth of the total. The former colonial powers are well aware of this since the problem is not new. Back in 2007, it was already being written about by experts at the Food and Agriculture Organization. Whether anything has been done over these 20 years to correct this injustice is a rhetorical question. According to the latest data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the economies of 46 African states, virtually the entire continent, are dependent on commodity exports. Exports, and 20 countries depend specifically on the sale of unprocessed minerals. The persistence of this neocolonial economic structure and the continued extraction of commodities from the countries of the Global South show that no genuine decolonization has actually taken place. In this context, there can be no talk of equitable dialogue or fighting poverty. And the mechanisms of good governance, transparency, and traceability that have been proposed for discussion risk being not an instrument of peace but a new form of external control. Western countries' monopolization of international monetary and financial transaction systems including in the trade of natural resources, is another vivid example of neocolonial practices. In this regard, a gradual move away from the dollar as the sole dominant global currency is a natural and irreversible process. We are seeing this clearly in the context of cooperation within BRICS, the SCO, and other international associations. In today's world, there is no alternative to ensuring the fair participation of developing countries in global markets. This can only be achieved by reforming the rules of international trade, expanding access to technology, and building processing capacity in resource-producing countries. We also cannot ignore the global demand from the Global South for the creation of a fair international financial architecture that reflects the realities of today's multipolar world. Madam President, we would like to support those delegations which recall that the fundamental document setting out the principles of state sovereignty over natural resources has been and remains UN General Assembly Resolution 1803, adopted in 1962. One of its key provisions states: International cooperation for the economic development of developing countries, whether in the form of public or private capital investment, exchange of goods and services, technical assistance, or exchange of scientific information shall be such as to further their independent national development and shall be based upon respect for the sovereignty over their natural wealth and resources. End of quote. Unfortunately, this principle has today become even more relevant. We are convinced that international cooperation in the field of natural resource governance should be built around strengthening states' industrial and scientific capacity, improving government institutions, providing technical assistance, and helping combat illegal extraction and cross-border smuggling of natural resources by discussing a topic that not everyone finds convenient, namely the free movement of capital. These issues are extremely important, but they hardly fall within the remit of the UN Security Council. In closing, we would like to underscore that in the interests of peace and development, we believe it is important to focus on the good faith implementation of existing international obligations in the field of natural resources. It is necessary to abandon neocolonial practices, interference in internal affairs, the use of unilateral sanctions that are illegal under international law, as well as reckless military ventures. Only then will it be truly possible to have a serious discussion on how to best organize cooperation in the sphere of natural resource governance so as to improve people's well-being. Thank you very much for your attention.

I thank the representative of the Russian Federation. And I now give the floor to the representative of the United States.

Thank you, Madame Foreign Minister, for convening this open debate and for your remarks. And congratulations again on the Democratic Republic of the Congo's presidency. And thanks to the Secretary-General and to the Director-General of the World Trade Organization. Thank you, Madame. Colleagues, when managed responsibly and strategically, natural resources have the potential to support peace, investment, and shared prosperity. As part of these efforts, stakeholders must take into account the nexus between natural resource governance and conflict prevention. In December 2025, President Trump took action and brokered the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity, Between the DRC and Rwanda, building on the Washington Peace Agreement signed in June 2025. This landmark achievement represents a historic opportunity to unlock lasting security and prosperity for the people of the Great Lakes region. To reinforce this progress, the U.S.-DRC Strategic Partnership Agreement harnesses the economic potential of the DRC by creating the conditions for the United States and the U.S.-aligned investment. This includes encouraging and supporting U.S. engagement in Congolese export infrastructure and helping build a skilled workforce with quality job opportunities across the country. The Strategic Partnership Agreement offers the potential for tangible growth, stability, and prosperity for both the Congolese and American people. And we are already seeing progress. This is evident in our effort and commitment to the Lobito Corridor, a transformative infrastructure project that will enhance regional connectivity, secure critical mineral supply chains, and drive sustainable economic growth by linking the DRC to the Atlantic Ocean port of Lobito in Angola. The Lobito Corridor will open new avenues for two-way trade between Central Africa and the United States and Europe. Just as in the DRC, we believe Sudan's durable path out of conflict runs through its people's ability to rebuild safely with resources that finance recovery rather than fuel further war. As Senior Advisor Boulos noted last month in this council, it is time to consider the role gold plays in fueling this conflict. Gold offers a major source of revenue that finances much of the acquisition and flow of drones and other weapons. Traceability and transparency are not obstacles to investment, but rather the foundation of it. Legitimate companies invest where supply chains are clean and peace is durable. In that regard, we commend the United Kingdom for sanctioning individuals suspected of participating in the illicit trade of gold and finance networks sustaining the conflict. The United States has targeted our sanctions on individuals and networks profiting from this war, including those recruiting foreign fighters and supplying the weapons that have prolonged the conflict and enabled atrocities against civilians. The United States also continues to press the parties for an immediate humanitarian truce without preconditions to allow humanitarian assistance to reach those in need and to open the door to a civilian-led political transition. These are not separate efforts. Rather, they reflect one conviction: that diplomacy succeeds when it turns resource wealth from a driver of conflict into a foundation for regional integration and shared growth. The United States remains prepared to use every tool at our disposal to help the DRC, Rwanda, and Sudan deliver the peace and prosperity their people deserve. From this, from his first day in office, President Trump has made clear that economic security is indeed national security. Together, we can ensure the resource wealth finances peace and not war. Thank you.

Je remercie la représentante. I thank the representative of the United States, and I now give the floor to the representative of Greece.

Thank you, Madam President. I welcome the presence of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and thank her for presiding over this meeting. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General as well as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization for their enlightening briefings.

Natural resources when managed responsibly, are a powerful catalyst for state growth, underpinning national revenues, infrastructure development, and long-term economic development. Allow me to emphasize the following points. First, resources are both opportunity and risk. Critical minerals are the backbone of technological growth, but the race to secure them is colliding with geopolitical tension and climate pressure, raising the stakes for global security. Second, illicit exploitation is no longer a peripheral issue. It's a driver of conflict. Opaque, unregulated extraction and trade don't just fuel instability. They finance it. Eastern DRC shows exactly how critical minerals can deepen displacement, human rights violations, and territorial disputes. Third, Africa holds roughly a third of the world's mineral reserves, a genuine opportunity for growth, jobs, and infrastructure. But the opportunity only becomes real through strong governance, institutional capacity, and transparent benefit sharing. Sourcing must work for the member states, not just for the markets at the end of the supply chain. Done right, governance turns resources from a source of instability into a foundation for peace and resilience. Fourth, This Council has repeatedly flagged the trafficking of conflict minerals by armed groups and criminal networks. Traceability, sanctions implementation, and the findings of panels of experts already give us the tools. What's missing is the political will to use them. Madam President, sustainable supply chains, local value addition, traceability, and respect for human rights are not add-ons. They are the conditions for durable peace and prosperity. Our task is clear: turn resource wealth into a foundation for peace before it becomes a fault line for conflict.

I thank you.

I thank the representative of Greece, and I give the floor to the United Kingdom.

Thank you, Madam President. And I welcome your leadership of today's important discussion, and I also want to thank the Secretary-General and the Director-General of the World Trade Organization for their valuable briefings. I'll make 3 points. First, natural resources can be a force for peace, prosperity, and stability, but that only happens when they're underpinned by strong national institutions transparency, and good governance. Through our partnership with the National Natural Resource Governance Institute, the United Kingdom is supporting African partners to strengthen critical minerals governance, promote transparency and accountability, and expand opportunities for local communities. We also saw this recently with the UK-supported launch of Ukraine's critical mineral strategy. This was about more than minerals, it was about the connection to their recovery, resilience, and long-term security. We urge all member states to take appropriate steps and provide support where needed to ensure that governance, transparency, and accountability measures are in place at national and at local level so that communities benefit from natural resource extraction. Second, without the right safeguards, natural resources can help sustain armed groups, entrench war economies, and prolong conflict. The Kimberley Process demonstrates well that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, that different commodities, supply chains, and operating environments demand different responses, and that's why the United Kingdom, through the British Geological Survey, is partnering with countries around the world to support digitalization and analysis of geological data. This improves transparency, attracts responsible investment, and supports informed decisions about resource development based on context-specific evidence. The United Kingdom also uses targeted tools to address security challenges related to natural resource supply chains. Last week, for example, the UK delivered new sanctions targeting illicit gold and finance networks playing a key role in sustaining the Sudan conflict. We encourage member states, businesses, and civil society to take pragmatic, evidence-based, and conflict-sensitive approaches so that natural resource extraction best advances development and security. Finally, no country can tackle these challenges alone. International cooperation is essential if natural resource wealth is to deliver lasting benefits for local communities. And that's why the United Kingdom is committed to continue working with partners to strengthen governance across critical minerals value chains, including through the G7, the G20, and the OECD. We've also worked through the UN Security Council to use sanctions to address the role of minerals in conflict, as well as through the Kimberley Process. The United Kingdom remains a strong supporter of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, which can help resource-rich countries attract responsible investment, build public trust, and realize more sustainable and inclusive development outcomes. And we urge member states to engage meaningfully with international institutions and existing international frameworks, including the Kimberley Process, to ensure the benefits of natural resource reach local communities. Madam President, the choice is not whether countries develop their natural resources, The choice is whether those resources fuel conflict or create opportunity. The United Kingdom remains committed to working with partners to ensure that natural resources become foundations for peace, for prosperity and stability, rather than drivers of conflict. I thank you.

I thank the representative of the United Kingdom and I give the floor to the representative of Latvia.

Thank you, Madam President. I would like to begin by thanking the Democratic Republic of the Congo for highlighting this issue of the link between natural resource management and peace and security. And I also welcome the presence of Her Excellency Ms. Thérèse Kayekwamba Wagner, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Francophonie of the DRC, as the president of this meeting. And I also thank the Secretary-General as well as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization. For their very relevant briefings.

Madam President, in too many parts of the world, the illicit exploitation of natural resources continues to fuel instability. The plundering of natural resources remains a constant feature of conflicts, breeding violence, aggravating the humanitarian situation. In Sudan, gold and gum arabic has become a key source of revenue Sustaining the conflict. Smuggling of conflict minerals out of the Eastern DRC continues. Armed groups there prop themselves up by controlling mining sites and imposing illegal taxes and fees on mining activities. In Ukraine, Russia continues to plunder and seize natural resources in the occupied territories and destroy Ukraine's natural capital through scorched earth warfare tactics. Natural resource governance is a universal and multifaceted challenge. Whether endowed with abundance or constrained by scarcity, states face significant challenges in governing natural resources effectively. As the demand for critical minerals increases, so do the questions about their true cost to the communities and the environment where they are mined. And we are all part of the supply chains. We want them to be secure, sustainable, and diversified. Therefore, we also need to contribute to help ensure that natural resources serve peace and sustainable development and do not come at the cost of human dignity. So, Madam President, I will make 3 points. First, when natural resources are governed well, communities prosper. When governance is corrupt, natural resource exploitation can become a driver of instability and result in human rights abuses and environmental degradation. Tapestry of international standards, due diligence guidance, certification, and transparency initiatives already exist. Fragmentation and complexity may be an obstacle to efficiency, but it should not be treated as an excuse. Political will and capacity to implement already existing obligations and commitments should be strengthened. Coherence, harmonization, and interoperability between the different instruments should be promoted. That is also true for the tools at the disposal of the Security Council for curbing conflict financing. One such example is targeted sanctions, and it is important to ensure that this tool can be fully utilized when appropriate and necessary, and that these measures are effectively enforced. All of this requires multi-stakeholder and international cooperation, as well as readiness to adapt to changing realities. That brings me to my second point. It is important that governance frameworks remain fit for purpose. Case in point is the Kimberley Process. Since its launch in 2003, it has been— it has played an important role in curbing the trade of conflict diamonds. However, its narrow conflict diamond definition limits ability to address the full spectrum of challenges, including diamonds associated with human rights abuses or different kinds of armed conflict. It has not been able, for instance, to address how Russia's diamonds are funding its war of aggression against Ukraine. The modern gold rush also deserves a closer examination. Not uniquely, but discrepancies in production and trade statistics in certain countries raise concerns that gold is being sourced through illicit supply chains, including from conflict-affected areas. I already mentioned Sudan, where an insatiable external demand for gold generates revenue for both parties to the conflict that have caused unspeakable suffering. Being notoriously hard to trace, gold trade is also increasingly associated with organized crime networks, which are seeking to gain control over extraction sites, trade routes, and refining infrastructure. It exposes vulnerable communities to violence and exploitation. Unchecked, these trends can be detrimental to stability. Third, we appreciate that the presidency has also highlighted the impact of climate change for this discussion. Indeed, climate change is increasing pressure on natural resources, exacerbating already existing vulnerabilities in conflict-affected settings. For instance, competition over scarce water resources or pasture during transhumance creates intercommunal tensions that can erupt in violence. And it is important to build resilience of affected communities, including through climate-sensitive mediation that accounts for competition for natural resources. The UN system has the insight and experience to accompany these communities on this journey. In conclusion, Madam President, the overarching principle is clear: natural resources should contribute to peace and development, not perpetuate violence and conflict. And the Security Council can play a significant part in upholding it and ensuring accountability when it is betrayed. And Latvia will continue to advocate for good governance of natural resources as a foundation for peace, security, and prosperity.

Thank you.

I thank the representative of Latvia, and I now give the floor to the representative of Panama.

Gracias.

Thank you, Madam President. Your Excellencies, we convey our greetings to the ministers, the high authorities, and the representatives of delegations who honor us with their participation in this important high-level debate. We value the interesting briefings that they— that the Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, provided, as well as Ms. Ngozi Nkong'o-Iweala, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization. We'd like to thank the Democratic Republic of the Congo, particularly Her Excellency Thérèse Kayekwamba Wagner, for convening us to a discussion which doesn't only belong to the present but rather to the very future of the international order. Because today we are not only gathered to discuss natural resources. We are meeting to ponder a more far-reaching question: will the world be capable of governing what it needs for its own survival? For a long time, we regarded natural resources as an economic matter. But the 21st century is forcing us to understand them differently. Today, these resources are synonymous with power, the energy transition, technology, social stability, and in too many places, they also mark the precise point where violence starts. Madam President, For this reason, this debate is not a comfortable one. The current reality shows us that the wealth of some territories continues to be exploited by illicit actors, perpetuating insecurity and depriving their peoples of these resources. That they ought to generate and further entrenching poverty. Our country knows from its own history that managing a strategic asset demands much more than infrastructure. It demands a statewide vision. The Panama Canal has taught us that there are assets whose importance extends beyond national borders, but it has also taught us that true sovereignty doesn't mean simply controlling a resource. Rather, it means governing it responsibly and efficiently with a long-term perspective. In our case, one of these essential resources is water. Our recent experience of drought reminded us of a simple but powerful truth: when nature is under strain, So too is the economy, logistics, food security, global trade, and international trust. Excellencies, the world is entering into a new era of competition over essential resources. The energy transition requires critical minerals, and technology depends on them. It's a Artificial intelligence needs energy, water, and metals. Modern economies need safe supply chains, secure supply chains. States are seeking to reduce their strategic dependencies. Businesses are seeking access, and markets are seeking to move quickly. But peace needs something more than that. It needs rules. Because when global demand outpaces governance, the resulting vacuum is filled by corruption, coercion, and interests that thrive wherever the state is weak. This Council was created to address threats to peace, but the threats of our time don't always come wearing uniform, bearing a flag, or a declaration of war. Sometimes they are lurking along a smuggling route or behind a mine controlled by armed actors and criminal networks. If we want to avoid conflict, we have to act to prevent it. We have to follow the money before it is used to buy the weapons that fuel conflicts. We need to trace illicitly extracted minerals before they are concealed in a legitimate supply chain, and we need to strengthen institutions before a state's absence is exploited by violent actors. Our country believes that the Security Council should act more consistently across 4 areas. First, prevention. Natural resource governance should be part of the Council's early risk analysis. When a strategic resource becomes trapped in illicit economies, this is no secondary matter. It is a warning sign. Traceability. Responsibility should extend along the entire supply chain. The world needs to know where the minerals that it's using comes from, under which conditions they were extracted, and who has benefited from them. Shared responsibility. No producing country alone can bear the burden of guaranteeing legality. Natural resource governance requires commitments between producers, transit countries, financial centers, companies, and consumers alike. Legitimate governance and accountability. Natural resources alone don't fuel conflicts. They do so when the systems exist that make it possible to hide beneficiaries, evade controls, and transform illicit wealth into political or military power. Panama believes in a governance that doesn't divide the world between those who extract resources and those who profit from them, between those who bear the ambient— the environmental cost and those who reap the technological benefit. We believe in a form of governance based on sovereignty, legality, transparency, transparency, environmental responsibility, and international shared responsibility. Because the defining question of our time isn't simply who possesses the resources. It is how the decisions are taken, how the benefits are distributed, and how the rights of present and future generations are protected. Madam President, history has shown that natural resources Minerals can finance wars, but they can also finance peace. They can sustain criminal economies, or they can strengthen the rule of law. They can become a driver of conflict if they are governed with greed, but they can also become a driver of stability and development if they are governed responsibly. And this is Panama's appeal today. That the Security Council view natural resources not as a peripheral issue, but rather as one of the major governance challenges of the 21st century. It's not about holding up development. It's about asking ourselves what type of development deserves to be called progress. It's not about choosing between the economy or peace. It's about understanding that without peace, no economy is viable, and without an economy, no peace is sustainable. Panama stands ready to work with all members of the Council, with producing states, with regional organizations, the private sector, and with civil society to advance towards this aim. Because in the end, the question is not whether the world needs natural resources. The question is whether we will have the vision, determination, and leadership to govern responsibly that which our common future depends on. Thank you very much.

I thank the representative of Panama, and I now give the floor to the representative of China.

Madam President, I welcome Her Excellency Minister of Foreign Affairs Cao Yuanbao to chair today's meeting and thank Secretary-General Guterres, Thank you, Mr. President, and Director-General Evila for their briefings. Natural resources are precious gifts from the Earth to mankind, the material foundation for human survival and continuous economic and social development. However, conflicts in some regions demonstrate that resources abundance does not automatically lead to development and prosperity, and poor governance can induce and fuel violence and disputes. The international community should join hands to strengthen the governance of natural resources, maintain the stability of global resource supply chain, and contribute to international peace and development. I would like to make 3 points. First, peace and stability are the solid guarantee for the governance of natural resources. Whether it's oil and gas pipelines or mines and forests, without a peaceful and stable environment, natural resources cannot be used to benefit the people. The international community should uphold a common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security concept, adhere to the peaceful resolution of disputes, urge the parties involved in conflicts to cease military confrontation, support regional countries and organizations in strengthening cooperation, jointly combat the illegal exploitation and smuggling of natural resources, enhance supply chain transparency and traceability, and cut off the reach of armed conflicts to natural resources at its source. At the same time, the causes of armed conflicts are complex and diverse, involving a range of political, social, and economic factors. Natural resources should not be simply regarded as the root cause of conflicts. Still less should normal economic trade and industrial cooperation be subjected to sweeping securitization, politicization, or instrumentalization. Second, fairness and justice are essential prerequisites for cooperation on natural International law grants all countries absolute sovereignty over their resources, a principle that cannot be challenged. Certain countries should cease using pressure, sanctions, and military coercion to seize resources from other countries and must not revert to colonial domination and plunder. Developing countries have the right to fully utilize their natural resources endowments to achieve economic and social development. China supports building an open, inclusive, fair, reasonable, cooperative, win-win, green, and clean critical mineral governance system. Using the pretext of so-called de-risking or safeguarding national security to pursue blocked confrontation and form exclusive small circles will only disrupt market order and undermine the common interest of all countries. Third, sustainable development is the ultimate goal of natural resource development. Past experience has repeatedly shown that the persistence of illegal exploitation of natural resources is rooted in deeper problems such as poverty, unemployment, and underdevelopment. To break the vicious circle in which resources and conflicts coexist, it is essential to support the countries concerned in achieving sustainable development on their own. The international community, especially developed countries, has the responsibility to fulfill its aid commitments. Support resource-rich countries, particularly developing countries, to continuously improve their resource governance system and to increase the added value and income of resource products through technology transfer, capacity building, talent training, and industrial upgrading, thereby eliminating poverty, increasing employment, truly benefiting local communities, and building a more solid foundation for peace. Madam President, as a major producer, consumer, and trader of natural resources, China has been consistently advocating and promoting governance and cooperation on natural resources. Last year, at the G20 Summit, China put forward the International Economic and Trade Cooperation Initiative on Green Mining and Minerals to promote the establishment of a new type of partnership on mineral resource that's open, win-win, fair, and reasonable. China stands ready to work with the international community to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation on natural resources, better assist relevant countries in transforming their resource endowments into drivers of development, and help them embark on a path of long-term stability, development, and prosperity. I thank you.

I thank the representative of China, and I now give the floor to the representative of Bahrain.

Your Excellencies, at the outset, I am pleased to welcome Her Excellency Ms. Thérèse Kayakomba Wagner, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Francophonie in the friendly Democratic Republic of the Congo, and we thank her for presiding over today's session. I also wish to express my sincere appreciation to His Excellency the Secretary-General and to Dr. Okonjo, Director-General of the WTO, for their valuable briefings. We also welcome the participation of the Secretary-General of the GCC, Mr. Badawi, and all those taking part in today's session. Madam President, we meet today to discuss the pivotal role of natural resources in supporting peace and security. These resources encompass multiple sectors, including critical minerals, for which demand is expected to nearly triple by 2030. They also include energy, water, and agricultural resources. Each of these sectors faces challenges related to their effective management and sustainability, as they are fundamental drivers of stability and development. Meanwhile, poor management or competition over these resources increase tensions and conflicts. Therefore, strengthening governance, transparency, and international cooperation in the management of natural resources constitutes a fundamental pillar to ensure their role in promoting peace, development, and shared prosperity. In this regard, I would like to address 3 main points. First, sustainable governance of natural resources is a fundamental pillar for safeguarding international peace and security. International experience confirms that natural resources are not only a source of growth but may also become a factor of instability in the absence of sound governance and in the presence of illicit exploitation, particularly in the mining sector, where revenues may be used to sustain conflicts. Accordingly, reducing the risks of resource-related conflicts requires strengthening governance before crises escalate. This can be achieved through the development of early warning mechanisms to monitor tensions linked to natural resources, and by supporting mediation and peacebuilding efforts, enhancing transparency and the rule of law. Such measures help ensure that natural resources serve as a foundation for stability and sustainable development rather than a cause of conflict. Second, conflicts related to natural resources can have severe humanitarian consequences. They disrupt agricultural activities, damage the environment and livelihoods, thereby threatening food security and undermining the stability of communities. Conflicts are among the main drivers of hunger worldwide. According to data from the World Food Programme, 70% of those facing acute food insecurity live in conflict-affected countries. While 12 of the world's 13 hunger hotspots are located in conflict-affected regions. These facts underscore the urgent need to strengthen responsible governance of natural resources and address the root causes of conflict, as this is the foundation for peacebuilding and humanitarian response. Third, addressing resource-related conflicts require international cooperation. Natural resources are linked to global supply chains, particularly amid increasing tensions that may affect the security of vital transit routes associated with transporting these resources, such as the Strait of Hormuz. Therefore, there is a need to strengthen traceability and transparency systems to promote responsible sourcing and implement due diligence to curb the flow of conflict-linked resources into international markets. The Kingdom also underscores the importance of cooperation among all countries involved in natural resource supply chains alongside support for capacity building. And technical assistance to enhance natural resource management. This would help ensure that producing countries and local communities benefit fairly and sustainably from the revenues generated by their natural resources. The Kingdom further emphasizes the important role of the UN system and regional organizations in developing common governance frameworks in capacity building and exchanging expertise. Madam President, today's debate on natural resources cannot be dissociated from the security of international waterways that ensure these resources reach their intended beneficiaries around the world. In this context, my delegation views with deep concern the continuing threats and repeated attempts by Iran to close or obstruct navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. This strait is not merely a regional waterway. It is a vital artery for the global economy through which a substantial portion of international energy resources flows. Any disruption of navigation through the strait constitutes not only a violation of the freedom of international navigation, but also amounts to using natural resources as a tool of political pressure. Accordingly, and in implementation of Security Council Resolution 2817, the Kingdom of Bahrain renews its call on the international community and this esteemed Council to adopt firm positions to safeguard the freedom of international navigation and protect vital waterways from any threats. This would ensure the secure and safe flow of natural resources and would serve the growth and prosperity of all peoples of the world. In conclusion, Madam President, the Kingdom reaffirms that natural resources should be a means of achieving peace and development, not a source of conflict and instability. This requires strengthening governance and transparency, Building capacities and enhancing international cooperation to ensure the responsible, sustainable development of natural resources in a manner that benefits all countries and communities. Thank you, President.

Je remercie le représentant.

I thank the representative of Bahrain, and I now give the floor to the representative of France.

Madam President, I'd like to begin by thanking you for your presidency of our work today as. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the DRC. I'd like to thank the Secretary-General of the UN and the Executive Director of the World Trade Organization for their briefings. This high-level debate on the link between natural resources and peace follows on from the ARIA Formula meeting last week and other discussions organized by the U.S. Presidency of the Council last March and by Sierra Leone in the Council one year ago. So we thank the Congolese Presidency for choosing to further the Council's consideration of this matter. Thank you, Madam President, I'll insist on 2 points. Firstly, the exploitation and illicit trafficking of natural resources are an aggravating factor in many crises on the Council's agenda. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the Central African Republic, in Sudan, in Colombia, or in Myanmar, the appropriation of natural resources sparks conflicts whose toll is borne by civilians. In the east of the DRC, the M23 controls between 15 and 30% of global coltan production at the Rubaya site, thus funding its illegal administration in full violation of Congolese sovereignty and territorial integrity. In Sudan, gold trafficking fuels the war economy, which only serves to prolong a conflict that has caused one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. Elsewhere on the African continent, these resources are being plundered by local or international actors who sometimes use private military companies to manage the pillaging on behalf of external powers. Secondly, in addressing this scourge, the Council must harness the tools available to it and ensure the strict implementation of existing multilateral mechanisms. This means making full use of Council's panels of experts and sanctions regimes who play a precious role in documenting the facts and disrupting the link between pillaging of natural resources and funding the parties to the conflict. Last week, This Council adopted sanctions against 8 individuals and entities related to armed groups destabilizing the east of the DRC, including the M23, the FDLR, and the ADF terrorist group. As we have repeatedly stressed, we must work so that the sanctions regime relating to Sudan is brought more into line with the reality of the current conflict. This also means providing support to existing multilateral mechanisms such as the Kimberley Process the OECD mechanisms or the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region, as well as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. Finally, this involves ensuring greater accountability on the part of the private sector. France is fully committed in this area, be it through the presidency of the G7 or within the European Union. Just last week at the EU, we adopted a ban on the import of of Sudanese gold and sanctions targeting gold trafficking. Madam President, to conclude, the sovereignty of every state over its natural resources is a fundamental issue. These resources should be harnessed for sustainable and equitable development of people's— of countries' populations. France supports the objective expressed by the DRC to work to improve the effectiveness and coherence of international initiatives to ensure the proper use of these resources. Looking to the future, we stand fully ready to contribute to the Council's work to that end. Thank you very much.

I thank the representative of France for that statement. And I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Roberto Curi-Pesantes, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador.

Madam President, distinguished members of the Security Council, good afternoon. I'd like to begin by thanking the Democratic Republic of the Congo for convening this debate on a matter which goes beyond the mere management of natural resources and sits at the crux of peace, security, and geopolitics in the 21st century. The energy transition and the technological revolution have conferred unprecedented geostrategic value on critical minerals and rare earths. Their growing global demand has created opportunities for the countries that possess them, but it has also heightened the risks of illicit exploitation and the spread of illegal economies. When that happens, mineral wealth ceases to be a driver of development and becomes a source of violence and instability. The responsible governance of these strategic resources is the first line of defense against against their illicit appropriation by criminal organizations or armed groups. At the same time, it calls for a paradigm shift in international economic relations. Developing countries cannot continue to be seen through the outdated lens of being mere suppliers of raw materials bearing the environmental and social costs of extraction while the added value and technological development remain in the industrialized centers. Cementing a lasting peace means linking the exploitation of critical minerals with technology transfer processes, with the development of local capacities and integration into continental-wide value chains. Solely strengthening— solely by strengthening the sovereign prerogatives of states will we be able to build resilient economies and curb the incentives that fuel criminal structures. Madam President, beyond its devastating environmental impact, illegal mining has become one of the main sources of funds for transnational organized crime. Combating this scourge means acting at every link of the supply chain, illicit extraction is just the beginning of a criminal network which encompasses smuggling, money laundering, corruption, and the international marketing of minerals of dubious origin. It's imperative for this Council to promote binding mechanisms for traceability, certification of origin, and corporate due diligence in destination markets. The advanced industries of the 21st century cannot sustain their supply chains with the same minerals that fund violence. The experience of the Democratic Republic of the Congo shows how illicit exploitation of minerals can undermine peace efforts and can prolong conflicts for decades. Latin American experience— indeed, our continent holds extraordinary geological wealth confirms that illegal economies weaken democratic institutions, erode governability, and allow criminal organizations to control territories and communities. In our region, these dynamics are intertwined with drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and trafficking in persons, going so far as to fund armed groups that corrode the social fabric of our countries. Today, illicit gold rivals drugs trafficking for profitability, taking advantage of porous borders and a lack of regulation of modern financial tools such as cryptocurrency. This explains the existential struggle that the national government, together with its people, is waging against transnational organized crime. For Ecuador, addressing this challenge is is the main statewide security priority. For this reason, we reaffirm our support for regional cooperation instruments such as the Andean Community's Resolute Action Plan, the Santiago Regional Commitment, and the Shield of the Americas. No state can prevail in isolation. The response must be coordinated, strategic, and multidisciplinary. As the President of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, has stressed, this is a global challenge demanding an equally global response. The total offensive phase against organized crime, drugs trafficking, and illegal mining began in June. The President stressed that international cooperation will strengthen Ecuador that is no longer battling transnational mafias alone. This initiative is part of a comprehensive national security plan. This is a public policy to dismantle criminal structures that use illegal mining as their main mechanism for funding and money laundering. Since the start of this year alone, more than 1,000 illegal mine shafts have been destroyed nationwide. Madam President, technological innovation and the green transition cannot be built on minerals tainted by violence or economic exclusion of supplier countries. I appeal to this Security Council to incorporate geostrategic governance of natural resources and the fight against their illicit exploitation within their mandates and conflict prevention strategies. The true foundation of international peace and security lies in transforming mineral wealth into an instrument for equity, legality, and development for all nations. Thank you very much.

I thank His Excellency Mr. Koury Per-Santis for that statement, and I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Tete Antonio, Minister for External Relations of Angola.

Thank you, Madam President. Excellencies, Madame Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, Minister of State and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for the Francophonie of Congolese in the Diaspora of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We wish to begin by extending our congratulations to the DRC in light of its— under the leadership of its President for this outstanding Security Council presidency. We'd also like to pay tribute to the President— the presence this morning of the Secretary General, and we thank him for his briefing. And I convey my greetings to my dear sister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General of the WTO. We thank her for a very helpful briefing.

Resources are often considered a blessing, but they can also become a curse only depending on certain factors like the way they are governed. Where governance is transparent, accountable, and effective, natural resources to drive, certainly, economic growth, strengthen institutions, and improve livelihoods. Where governance is challenged, they can fuel conflict, finance armed groups, undermine state authority, and deprive populations of the benefits of their own wealth. The challenge before us today is therefore not the availability of natural resources, but the quality of the governance also matters. Angola wishes to highlight therefore 3 priorities. The first one is strengthen governance frameworks. Member states should reinforce legal, regulatory, and institutional frameworks governing access to extraction and the trade in natural resources in full respect of the sovereignty of the countries of origin. Illegal exploitation must be addressed through effective enforcement, anti-corruption measures, and action against illicit financial flows. Existing international and regional mechanisms, including the Kimberley Process, to which the Republic of Angola contributed by— based on its own experience of a long conflict conflict and the so-called blood diamonds then, the OECD due diligence guidance, the regional certification mechanism of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region, and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative provide valuable foundations for that. Our collective priority should therefore be strengthen their implementation, traceability, forward global supply chains, and harness emerging technologies to enhance transparency and accountability. Second priority is to deepen international cooperation. Illicit exploitation and trafficking of natural resources are transnational challenges that require coordinated responses. Greater cooperation among member states regional organizations, international financial institutions, the private sector, and civil society is essential to strengthen information sharing, enhance customs and law enforcement cooperation, and disrupt criminal networks operating across borders while fully respecting national ownership and the permanent sovereignty of states. over their natural resources. The third priority is to place natural resource governance at the center of conflict prevention, as well as already mentioned by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and over conflict-affected regions of Africa. The illegal exploitation of natural resources continues to finance armed groups, sustain violence, and undermine peaceful efforts. Breaking this cycle requires stronger governance, greater domestic value addition, environmental sustainability, meaningful participation of local communities, and sustained investment in national institutions and capacities. Madam President, the Security Council has long recognized the link between the illicit exploitation of natural resources and armed conflict. The priority now is implementation. Natural resource governance should be systematically integrated into conflict prevention, peacebuilding, sanction, implementation, and post-conflict We look forward to learning more about this very valuable initiative. Angola remains convinced that natural resources must become an engine of sustainable development rather than drivers of instability. Achieving the objective requires— this objective requires accountable governance, resilient institutions, responsible partnerships, leadership and sustainable political commitment. Processing locally the critical minerals is one of the drivers of this common effort for economic diversification as well as economic integration for our continent. I'm talking about Africa, including the announcement of the role Of the integration for the infrastructures we have put in place, like the Lobito Corridors, which is a tool of cooperation between Angola, the DRC, and Zambia, and the rest of the African continent. I thank you, Chairperson.

Je remercie. I thank His Excellency Minister Antonio for that statement. I now give the floor to His Excellency. Excellency, Mr.

Constant Serge Bunda, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Francophonie and Congolese Abroad of Congo.

Excellencies, Ms. Thérèse Kayekwambo Wagner, President of the Security Council and Minister of the DRC, dear sister. The excellent briefing from the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the one from my sister Distinguished members of the Council, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the Republic of the Congo welcomes the convening of this important meeting of the United Nations Security Council devoted to the theme Natural Resource Governance: The Foundation of Peace, Security, and Prosperity. Who better than the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which holds the presidency of the Security Council this month, to bring this essential debate to the heart of the institution, our institution that embodies multilateralism, peace, justice, and respect for international law? His Excellency Mr. Denis Sassou Nguesso, President of the Republic of the Congo, whom I have the honor of representing before this distinguished assembly, places peace, Pan-Africanism, the defense of multilateralism, and sustainable management of natural resources at the heart of his political and diplomatic action. His vision rests on a fundamental conviction, namely the primacy of the United Nations Charter and specifically lasting peace, which requires responsible transparent, and equitable governance of natural resources so that their sustainable management can serve as a driver of development, stability, and security. This reality is particularly evident in the Congo Basin and the Great Lakes region, where natural resources are at the heart of development challenges, but at times they are also the cause of tensions and conflict. Globally, nearly 40% of internal conflicts over the past few decades have been linked, whether directly or indirectly, to the issue of natural resources. We therefore welcome the initiative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It follows in the tradition of great voices such as that of Ms. Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Goodwill Ambassador for the Congo Basin Forests, who reminded us of the inseparable link between the environment, sustainable development and peace, notably when she declared that investing in the protection and conservation of the environment is an investment in peace.

End of quote.

The Congo Basin, the world's second-largest tropical forest, is a major ecological legacy for humanity. Its preservation is a global challenge that requires collective mobilization. In this light, 2 priorities deserve the attention of the international community. First, strengthening innovative financing mechanism as well as regional cooperation, in particular through the Blue Fund for the Congo Basin, so that climate financing becomes a concrete instrument for peace and development. Second, Support permanent platforms for dialogue and mediation, such as that of the Economic Community of Central African States, ECOWAS, as well as those of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region, in order to prevent disputes linked to natural resources before they turn into crises. Finally, we call for the ambitious implementation of international initiatives for afforestation, reforestation, and ecosystem restoration. which help ease pressure on natural resources and prevent conflict. This, uh, an example of this is the initiative championed by His Excellency Mr. Denis Sassou-Nguesso, President of the Republic of the Congo, on the United Nations Decade on Afforestation and Reforestation for Sustainable Forest Management 2027-2036, which was adopted here at the UN on April 16th through Resolution A/Res. 79/283.

Thank you.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, by way of conclusion, the Republic of the Congo will continue alongside its African and international partners to work for mediation, conflict prevention, and the sustainable management of natural resources. We thank the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in particular its head of state, His Excellency Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, for this pioneering and valuable initiative to which we fully subscribe. Thank you very much for your kind attention.

I thank His Excellency Mr. Bundafra's statement. I now give the floor to His Excellency Mubitalua Belwa, Executive Secretary of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region.

President of the Security Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, Francophone and Congolese Diaspora, Her Excellency Teresa Kaikwamba Wagner, His Excellency Secretary-General of the United Nations and Director-General also of the World Trade Organization, distinguished members of Security Council, ladies and gentlemen. Allow me from the outset— allow me from the outset to thank the chairperson of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, His Excellency President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi President of the DRC, for ably steering the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region as chairperson. This reminds us that those who have borne the heaviest burdens often offer the clearest vision of peace— that is, the peace that we seek, the peace that we must build. The Great Lakes Region faces a critical choice: whether its rich mineral resources continue to to fuel conflict, or will summon the strength to make it a driver of peace and development? The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region has shown that another path exists. To this effect, the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region Regional Certification Mechanism on Tin, Tantalum, Tungsten, and Gold, the 3 Ts and Gold, promotes traceability, transparency, and accountability in mineral supply chains. With thousands of certificates issued so far, in DRC alone more than 33,000 certificates issued to miners over the past few years, significant progress has been made in ensuring that mineral revenues benefit communities rather than armed groups and The certificates are issued across several member states in the ICGR region. The region's experience demonstrates that credible traceability systems, harmonized standards, and strong political commitment can transform the management of natural resources. To sustain this progress, responsible supply chains must be strengthened, artisanal miners must be supported through formalization and access to finance, Local communities must get a fair share of resource benefits, and natural resource governance should be treated not only as an economic issue but also as a cornerstone of peace and security. After 15 years of regional cooperation in the Great Lakes region, the ICGR has shown that minerals can become pillars of stability rather than sources of conflict. Greater local value addition, environmental sustainability, and stronger international support are now essential to convert natural resource wealth into lasting peace, shared prosperity, and sustainable development. This leads us to one conclusion. As proposed by the President, there must be a gathering around this cause, and importantly, this transformative path must be realistic, gradual and incremental. It must be grounded in the UN Charter itself and must build on regional experiences. I thank you.

I thank His Excellency Mr. Loua Belwa for his statement, and I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi, Secretary-General, Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

In the name of God, the gracious, the merciful. Your Excellency, Madam Theresa Wagner, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Francophonie of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Excellencies, members of the Council, ladies and gentlemen, peace and God's blessings be upon you. At the outset, I'd like to extend my sincere congratulations to the Democratic Republic of the Congo on its assumption of the Presidency of the Security Council for the current month of July. I would also like to express my sincere appreciation for the kind invitation to participate in this high-level open debate on natural resource governance as a foundation for peace, security, and prosperity. This topic is of growing importance in light of the significant challenges facing the international community and the imperative of strengthening the nexus between security and sustainable development. Madam President, when natural resources are managed in accordance with the principles of good governance, transparency, the rule of law, and international cooperation, they become a powerful driver of development and prosperity at both the national and international levels. However, when they are used as instruments of war or political coercion, or when the infrastructure associated with them is deliberately targeted, or when their supply routes are disrupted, then they become a source of instability with adverse repercussions for the global economy and international peace and security. Guided by this conviction, conviction, the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council have made the sound governance of natural resources a fundamental pillar of their national and collective policies. GCC member states possess approximately 30% of the world's proven oil reserves and nearly 20% of global natural gas reserves. They account for around a quarter of global oil production. This has established the GCC member states as a reliable partner in maintaining stability in global energy markets, including during times of crisis and geopolitical uncertainty. In this context, the GCC member states have continued to invest the revenues generated from their natural resources in building more diversified and resilient economies. They've invested in human capital and developed infrastructure and continue to foster innovation and implement ambitious national visions. They have expanded investments in renewable energy and low-carbon hydrogen projects. This all reflects the commitment to striking a balance between energy security and climate action. The governance of natural resources cannot be separated from the security of global supply chains, particularly the protection of critical infrastructure and international maritime routes through which global trade and energy supplies pass. This constitutes— or these constitute essential pillars for the stability of the global economy. Accordingly, any attack on these maritime routes or any disruption of navigation through them threatens not only the interests of exporting countries, but also directly undermines global energy security, international supply chains, and the stability of international markets. Madam President, Since the 28th of February, Iran has continued to launch ballistic missile and drone attacks against the member states of the GCC and other countries without any lawful justification and in a flagrant violation of the principles of international law, the Charter of the United Nations, and the rules of good neighborliness. These attacks continue and they pose a grave danger to the GCC member states and to regional and international peace and security. These attacks disrupt the path of development and stability. They place the global economy at serious risk. From this podium, we renew our call upon the international community, foremost among them the Security Council, to discharge its legal responsibilities by putting an end to these attacks and deterring Iran from continuing its aggressive policies in a manner that preserves international peace and security and safeguards the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states These attacks not only target the countries targeted, but also constitute a pattern of conduct that ultimately harms the Iranian people, who continue to bear the consequences of a regime that squanders the nation's resources on escalation and conflict rather than directing these resources towards development and prosperity and improving the living standards of its citizens while securing their future. This Iranian conduct is unacceptable. It is inconsistent with the Charter of the United Nations. It undermines international efforts aimed at promoting peace, security, and prosperity. And it underscores the urgent need for a firm international position that ensures respect for international law, guarantees freedom of navigation, and protects critical infrastructure associated with energy and natural resources. As for Iran's dangerous practices targeting the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which include: 1, targeting commercial vessels; 2, laying naval mines; 3, attempting to impose mandatory shipping lanes within Iran's territorial waters; 4, making explicit threats to prevent transit; and 5, repeatedly threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz. These practices constitute a clear violation of international law and undermine confidence in the security of one of the world's most important maritime waterways. These actions have also resulted in the loss of human life and humanitarian suffering affecting more than 20,000 seafarers of various nationalities. They have had a direct impact on international trade and global supply chains. This calls for the full support for the work done by the International Maritime Organization to address this crisis, to ensure the safety and security of navigation, and to protect civilians. Madam President, in this regard, we condemn in the strongest of terms the irresponsible and hostile statements issued by the Houthi militias, including the false allegations directed against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and threats to close the Bab al-Mandeb They therefore require a firm international response that unequivocally rejects these Houthi threats and reaffirms that no party should be permitted to use international maritime routes as instruments of coercion or as a means of undermining international peace and security. Madam President, our position on the freedom of navigation is firmly grounded on well-established principles of international law. First, on the 11th of March, Your Esteemed Council adopted Resolution Number 2817, submitted by the Kingdom of Bahrain on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council member states and Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. This resolution received the support of 136 states, which is the broadest support ever accorded to a Security Council resolution. It unequivocally condemned Iran's attacks against 7 neighboring states, and it determined that any attempt to obstruct the freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz constitutes a threat to international peace and security. Second, this right affirmed by the Council is a well-established rule of international law. The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea provides in Article 38 that all ships and aircraft enjoy the right of transit passage, which should not be impeded. Article 44 further provides that there shall be no suspension of transit passage. No international legal framework, whether historical or contemporary, permits the closure of an international strait. This right, together with its corresponding obligations, applies equally to all parties with no exception. Freedom of navigation is indivisible regardless of the vessel's flag, destination, or ownership. It is not subject to conditions or reciprocity. Natural resources should serve as bridges for cooperation, partnership, and development rather than causes for conflict and division. Protecting civilian facilities and critical infrastructure, and safeguarding security of maritime routes, and upholding international law and strengthening multilateral cooperation are all essential pillars for ensuring collective security and achieving sustainable development. The member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council take pride in the success they've achieved in harnessing our natural resources to advance sustainable development and to promote prosperity for our people goals on the one side, while contributing to the stability of global energy markets and the world economy on the other, while providing humanitarian and development assistance to countries in need. Against this backdrop, and in closing, the GCC member states reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to remain a source of stability rather than instability, to remain a reliable partner in safeguarding secure global energy supplies, and a steadfast advocate for dialogue, de-escalation, and the primacy of the rule of law.

I thank you, Madam I thank His Excellency Mr. Al-Budayawi for his statement, and I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Armanata Kristiawan Nasir, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia.

Thank you, Madam President. Indonesia thanks the Democratic Republic of the Congo for convening this debate, also the briefers for their insight. Let me begin by stressing that how we govern natural resources is not a technical question. It is the foundation of peace and security itself. Governed fairly, resources build nations. Governed by predation, they finance war. Conflict comes not from abundance nor from scarcity, but rather when resources become objects of plunder, of outside interference, and of competition that treats sovereign nations as terrain rather than partners. Indonesia Australia knows its history in our bones. Our archipelago was once the epicentre of global scramble. Then it was nutmeg, cloves, and pepper. Today it is nickel, cobalt, and other critical minerals. The commodities have changed, but the question has not. Whom does this wealth actually serve? In this context, allow me to make 3 points. First, the permanent sovereignty of states over their natural resources must be respected. For Indonesia, this is not merely policy; it is constitutional. The Earth. The water, and the natural wealth contained therein are controlled by the state and used for the greatest prosperity of the people. Our natural resources belong to the Indonesian people, and it is the clear priority of President Prabowo Subianto that they serve Indonesia's own development Through downstream industry, jobs for the— for our people, and value created at home rather than shipped away. Trade, investment, and cooperation are essential, but they must reinforce sovereignty and allow producing countries to move beyond supplying raw materials. Responsible supply chains Investing must therefore deliver fair revenue, domestic value addition, decent work, technology transfer, and tangible benefit for local communities. Yet sovereignty is never isolation. It is the confidence from which genuine partnership becomes possible. Second, Resources governance must serve prevention and peacebuilding. Prevention begins long before the first shot is fired, in accountable institutions, equitable benefit sharing, and meaningful participation by the local communities. Our own experience taught us that revenue sharing Greater local authority and transparent— and transparency can turn grievances into peace. Transparency must also be enforceable, which is why Indonesia built Simbara, a platform integrating licensing, production, state revenue, transportation, and export data. Transparency must also be enforceable, which is why it is also that a developing producer country can also hold itself to the highest standard. Third, we must renew commitment to peace through sustainable development. The structural drivers of conflicts— inequality, exclusion, and weak institutions— cannot be addressed by this Council alone. The 2030 Agenda, the Pact of the Future, must remain at the core of our efforts, carried forward across the General Assembly, ECOSOC, and the wider United Nations system. Madam President, there is no development without peace and no peace without development. Neither will endure unless nations can exercise sovereignty over their resources for the greatest benefit of their people. Sovereignty and solidarity are not competing principles. They hold one another up. Indonesia stands ready to do its part. Thank you, Madam President.

I thank His Excellency Mr. Nasir for his statement. I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Abdullah Al-Balala, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability of the United Arab Emirates.

Madam President, Excellencies, colleagues, I thank the Democratic Republic of the Congo for convening this timely debate during its presidency, and His Excellency I want to thank the Chair of the African Union, President Tshisekedi, President Tshisekedi Chilombo, the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for calling this meeting. I also thank the Secretary-General as well as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization for their valuable contributions. Madam President, natural resources, when governed responsibly, are among a country's greatest assets. They can drive economic growth, foster shared prosperity, and contribute meaningfully to international peace and security. This potential, however, is too often undermined. The illegal exploitation of natural resources has a long history of fueling instability. And empowering armed groups, terrorists, and criminals at the cost of relevant states and their people. As the strategic importance of critical minerals grows, responsible resource governance becomes more important than ever to mitigate these risks while unlocking sustainable development opportunities. With this, the United Arab Emirates wishes to highlight 3 considerations. First, natural resource governance requires transparent, accountable, and effective public administration governed by the rule of law. Responsible sourcing, traceability, and improved access to reliable data can support sustainable benefits for communities, together with innovation and digital technology.

strategies.

International cooperation, whether involving member states or the United Nations, should prioritize institutional capacity building, technical assistance and knowledge exchange, of course in full respect of sovereignty, national ownership and the development priorities identified by the producing countries themselves. Second, responsible investment should create lasting value within producing countries. Producing countries should be supported in moving beyond the extraction and export of raw materials towards domestic processing, industrial development, and greater participation across value chains to ensure sustainable development and shared prosperity. The UAE engagement with partner countries is guided by this approach across renewable energy, logistics, infrastructure, food security, digital transformation, and critical minerals, our partnerships seek to support nationally identified priorities, strengthen local capacity, and create a long-term economic value. Third, critical mineral governance promotes peace, security, and sustainable development. The recommendations of the Secretary-General's Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals to which I myself have contributed to on behalf of the UAE, recognize that resilient mineral value chain depends not only on supply security but also on effective governance, responsible investment, environmental stewardship, human rights, and equitable partnerships. The recent high-level meeting on critical energy transition minerals demonstrated growing momentum to translate these principles into action. Strengthening governance to preempt resource-driven conflict is more effective and far less costly than post-conflict intervention. Effective natural resource governance and strong institutions expand legitimate economic opportunity and mitigate exploitation by armed groups, terrorist groups, and criminal networks. Madam President, Second, we must build on conversations such as this one, and reflect further on mechanisms that enable the cooperation of all relevant stakeholders to safeguard natural resources and secure prosperous economies. The United Arab Emirates will continue to work constructively with the United Nations, African partners, and other Member States to help make natural resources a foundation for peace rather than drivers of conflict. I thank you, Madam President.

I thank His Excellency Mr. Balala for his statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Kazakhstan.

Mr. President, we warmly welcome the participation of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in today's debate and thank the Democratic Republic of the Congo for convening this timely high-level debate. We also thank the Secretary-General and the Director-General of the World Trade Organization for their briefings. My delegation would like to join the distinguished speakers before us in recognizing that the responsible governance of natural is not merely an economic or developmental issue. It is directly connected to conflict prevention, regional stability, and international peace and security. When natural resources are exploited illegally, revenues can finance armed groups, sustain war economies, and deepen instability. When managed transparently and responsibly, these same resources can generate economic growth, create jobs, strengthen institutions, and contribute to lasting peace. As a major producer of uranium, hydrocarbons, and critical minerals, Kazakhstan has accumulated significant experience in its governance. My country has been participating in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative for many years. Promoting greater transparency and accountability in the management of natural resources. Our approach is based on the conviction that resource-rich countries should not remain merely suppliers of raw materials. Greater emphasis must be given to local processing, technological cooperation, skills development, and the creation of value-added industries. This is particularly important in the context of the rapidly growing global demand for critical minerals essential for the energy transition. Mr. President, the United Nations, including the Security Council as needed, has an important role in addressing the nexus between the illicit exploitation of natural resources and conflict. Through preventive diplomacy, peace operations, sanctions regimes, expert monitoring mechanisms, and capacity-building assistance, the UN can help states strengthen governance, curb illicit resource flows, and promote conditions in which natural resources become drivers of peace rather than conflict. At the same time, the primary responsibility for the management of natural resources should rest with sovereign states. Any international framework should fully respect the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including territorial integrity and the permanent sovereignty of states over their natural resources. International support should not reinforce rather than substitute national ownership and institutional capacities. Kazakhstan also believes that revenues derived from natural resources should contribute to the well-being of present and future generations through investments in education, healthcare, infrastructure, and sustainable development. Equally important is ensuring that local communities directly benefit from resource development while environmental standards are upheld. Our experience in Central Asia further demonstrates that dialogue and regional cooperation can transform home shared natural resources from potential sources of tension into instruments of confidence-building and sustainable development. Kazakhstan stands ready to promote transparent, accountable, and sustainable natural resource governance, ensuring that natural resources become a foundation for peace, security, and shared prosperity rather than conflict and instability. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Kazakhstan for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of the Republic of Korea.

Thank you, Mr. President. The Republic of Korea expresses the sincere appreciation to the DRC for convening this timely and important debate. Whether natural resources finance war or lay the foundation for peace in is determined not by geology but governance. Allow me to make 3 points. First, responsible governance must cover the full value chains from extraction through processing and trade to recycling. The transparency at the mine site alone is insufficient. When processing and trade remain opaque, Illegally extracted minerals can enter global markets and fuel conflicts. The Republic of Korea serves as the chair of the Mineral Security Partnership and as inaugural chair of its successor, the Forum on Resource Geostrategic Engagement, PROGE. Both multilateral platforms aim at stabilizing and diversifying critical mineral supply chains. Under our chairmanship, POJI members adopted the guiding principles by consensus, setting a common direction to enhance investment certainty, support supply chains that uphold high environmental, labor, and transparency standards, and promote responsible business conduct. We also introduced a project review process to build a more strategic and result-oriented portfolio. Having transferred the chairmanship to the United States this month, we remain strictly engaged. Second, responsible supply chains must be mutually beneficial to producing and consuming countries. Greater local value addition enables producing countries to remain more economic value, while a stable and diversified supply base gives consuming countries more reliable access to critical minerals. At the 2024 Korea Africa Summit, our leaders agreed to launch the Korea Africa Critical Mineral Dialogue. Its first meeting in 2025 explored ways to strengthen Africa's mineral value chains from exploitation to export. At last month's Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers' Meeting, both sides reaffirmed the commitment to local value addition and technological cooperation. Through this dialogue and practical projects such as the Mahenge Graphite Project in Tanzania, the Republic of Korea will connect Africa's local value creation with our strengths in processing and recycling technologies, investment capacity, and stable long-term demand. Third, we must break the link between the illicit exploitation of natural resources and conflict. Financing. Illegal mining, smuggling, and illicit financial flows sustain armed groups and weaken state authority. Resolution 2773 condemned the systematic illicit exploitation and trafficking of natural resources in Eastern DRC. The Republic of Korea supports full implementation of Washington peace agreement and the progress through the Doha peace process, alongside stronger traceability, including through the Kimberley Process and the ICGLR regional certification mechanism. Mr. President, the Republic of Korea will remain a reliable partner in transforming the resource curse into the virtuous circle of peace and I thank you.

I thank the representative of Korea for the statement. There are still a number of speakers remaining on my list for this meeting. I intend, with the concurrence of members of the Council, to suspend the meeting until 3:00 p.m. The meeting is suspended.