UN Secretary-General warns of consequences of mismanagement and illegal exploitation of natural resources
New York, July 22 (KUNA) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Wednesday against the mismanagement and illegal exploitation of natural resources, calling for enhanced governance of these resources to ensure they serve as a foundation for peace, security, and prosperity rather than becoming sources of violence and instability.
He made these remarks during a speech at an open debate held by the UN Security Council to examine the relationship between natural resource management, conflict prevention, and the promotion of sustainable peace, under the theme "Governance of Natural Resources: The Foundation for Peace, Security, and Prosperity."
Guterres stated that critical minerals and rare earth elements are gaining increasing strategic importance due to rising global demand. He warned that this trend "presents significant opportunities to drive development in producing countries, but at the same time fuels geopolitical competition, increases pressure on supply chains, and exacerbates conflicts."
He added that revenues from the illegal exploitation of natural resources strengthen the capabilities of armed and criminal groups, link local acts of violence to regional and international networks, and undermine prospects for political settlements.
In this context, he cited the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where armed groups benefit from illegal mining and mineral smuggling, as well as Sudan, where the exploitation of gold and gum arabic has contributed to fueling the conflict.
Guterres noted that the Security Council has taken measures in recent years to curb conflict financing through natural resources, including supporting national authorities in combating illegal exploitation and imposing sanctions targeting illegal trade in resources in several regions.
The Secretary-General outlined four urgent priorities to address these challenges. The first is achieving justice by ensuring that resource-rich countries and communities benefit from their wealth. The second priority is prevention, through curbing illicit flows and enhancing transparency in mineral supply chains. He stressed that "effective measures must cover the entire value chain, not just the extraction stage."
His third priority called for utilizing peaceful conflict resolution tools to address disputes related to natural resources, emphasizing that issues of access to resources and revenue sharing are often political and can serve as entry points for dialogue and confidence-building.
In his fourth priority, Guterres stressed the need to integrate climate considerations into conflict prevention efforts, warning that droughts, floods, and environmental degradation lead to increased competition for land, water, and minerals, thereby exacerbating tensions and threatening to ignite violence.
He viewed the challenge as lying in changing the way natural resources are extracted, processed, and marketed, ensuring that producing countries and local communities retain a larger share of the added value.
Concluding his speech, the Secretary-General emphasized that natural resource management must contribute to financing sustainable development, strengthening institutions, and consolidating peace, calling on Security Council members to "choose peace." (End) A.S.T. / R.J.
