UN Chief calls for end to exploitation of Africa’s natural resources, warning illicit trade is fueling conflicts
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He urged governments, regional organisations, financial institutions and industry to strengthen cooperation to curb illicit trade in natural resources and improve traceability across global supply chains.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called for Africa's resource-rich countries to receive a fairer share of the benefits from their mineral wealth, saying weak governance and illicit exploitation continue to fuel conflict and leave communities impoverished.
Addressing the UN Security Council during an open debate on natural resource governance, Guterres warned that growing global demand for critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earth elements presents both an opportunity for development and a growing threat to peace if resources are poorly managed.
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The Secretary-General said it was time to end a long-standing pattern in which natural resources are extracted from producing countries while most of the value is captured elsewhere, leaving local communities to bear the environmental and socio-economic consequences.
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Guterres outlined four priorities to address the challenge: ensuring justice and fair economic returns for producing countries, strengthening transparency and accountability across mineral supply chains, promoting the peaceful settlement of disputes over natural resources, and integrating climate considerations into conflict prevention.
He urged governments, regional organisations, financial institutions and industry to strengthen cooperation to curb illicit trade in natural resources and improve traceability across global supply chains.
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