UN Proposes Initiatives to Strengthen Governance and Combat Illicit Flows

Critical Minerals, March 7, 2026 - At the UN Security Council meeting on Energy, Critical Minerals, and Security, the growing importance of critical minerals in the global economy was highlighted. Minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel are now essential for digital technologies and the energy transition, with trade in raw and semi-processed minerals reaching $2.5 trillion in 2023. Demand is projected to triple by 2030 and quadruple by 2040, creating opportunities for job creation, economic diversification, and sustainable development.

The UN outlined three key priorities to ensure conflict-affected countries benefit responsibly from their natural resources. First, exploitation must lead to fair and equitable outcomes, strengthening national institutions, regulatory frameworks, and processing capacities, while mitigating negative impacts. Second, multilateral and regional action is needed to improve traceability, combat illicit flows, and build resilient supply chains. Third, mediation tools must be deployed to address conflicts related to natural resources, fostering cooperative relationships and enabling parties to share benefits equitably.

The session comes amid ongoing conflict in eastern DRC, where the AFC/M23 rebellion occupies areas in North and South Kivu. The Congolese government frames these attacks as part of an economic war aimed at plundering critical minerals, while providing military support to rebels. Rwanda denies involvement, citing the threat of the FDLR, a group with a genocidal ideology, and framing the situation as linked to Tutsi community security concerns.

Efforts to resolve tensions include the Washington Process, addressing relations between Kinshasa and Kigali, and the Doha Process, focused on the AFC/M23 crisis. Despite these initiatives, hostilities persist, endangering civilian populations and worsening humanitarian conditions amid declining international aid.

The UN emphasized that equitable and responsible management of critical minerals could lift millions out of poverty, promote peace, and support sustainable development, but only if governance, traceability, and diplomacy are effectively enforced.