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We Must Safeguard Rights of Resource-Rich States ‘to Benefit from Their Minerals While Protecting Their Communities, Ecosystems’, Says Deputy Secretary-General

Press Release

4 November 2024

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks to the Member States briefing on the outcomes of the Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, in New York today:

It is a pleasure to join you today.

The report from the Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals was released in September in response to a critical global challenge.  The Secretary-General has asked we not only give out information but debrief Member States on this important work.

We are in the midst of a quiet revolution.

The way we power our economies and societies is changing.

Renewables have never been cheaper or more accessible, and the acceleration in their roll-out is staggering but uneven.

There is a danger that the clean energy transition could reproduce and amplify inequalities of the past:  with developing countries — rich in the renewables critical to the transition — banished to the bottom of those value chains, their people are exploited, and their environment in jeopardy as others grow wealthy on their resources.  Sounds familiar.

The Secretary-General established the Panel in response to calls from developing countries for action on this issue.  Lest we repeat history.

I thank all the Panel members for their work, particularly the Co-Chairs, Nozipho Joyce Mxakato-Diseko of South Africa, and Ditte Juul Jørgensen of the European Commission.  I commend the Panel for breaking new ground and reaching an agreement on many complex and contested issues.

I am also grateful to the 17 UN agencies that provided a vast range of technical expertise to the Panel, led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Secretary-General’s Climate Action Team.

The Panel’s report identifies ways Governments, industry and the United Nations can work to embed justice and equity in critical energy transition mineral value chains and ensures that they spur sustainable development, respect people, protect the environment and power prosperity in resource-rich developing countries.

It outlines seven guiding principles that prioritize human rights, environmental protection and inclusive development while also insisting on responsible trade and investment.  This vision is supported by calls for transparency, accountability and a commitment to multilateral cooperation — safeguarding the rights of resource-rich countries to benefit from their minerals while protecting their communities and ecosystems.

To bring these principles into action, the report sets out five actionable recommendations, such as forming an UN-hosted expert group to lead fair policy dialogue and drive accountability across mineral value chains.  It advocates for a global transparency framework, funding mechanisms to address mining’s long-term impacts and support for small-scale miners as partners in sustainable development.  Together, these recommendations aim to empower communities, create accountability and ensure that clean energy fuels not only our economies but also equitable and resilient growth.

Following the launch of the report, the Secretary-General asked the Panel and United Nations to socialize its findings with Member States and other stakeholders ahead of the twenty-ninth United Nations Climate Change Conference and receive feedback to help inform next steps.

We are preparing the United Nations system to support the implementation of the Panel’s work –safeguarding and advancing human rights, particularly the rights of Indigenous Peoples, across the critical minerals value chain.

UNEP, UNCTAD and the Climate Action Team will lead those efforts in the UN system.  Civil society, young people and Indigenous Peoples have a seat at the table.

At the twenty-ninth UN Climate Change Conference in Baku later this month, the Secretary-General will convene a leader-level event to mobilize political support and establish a way forward.

Today, the Panel Co-Chairs, Ditte Juul Jørgensen and Nozipho Joyce Mxakato-Diseko will brief you on the report.

We want to hear your feedback on its findings to inform the operationalization of its outcomes.  We are particularly keen to hear views on two matters:

  • First, are the guiding principles the right ones?  If so, how can we mainstream them into the relevant constituencies?
  • Second, the Panel developed five actionable recommendations to put the principles into practice.  Are these broadly supported, and if so, what is the best approach to operationalize them?  What role can Member States, the UN system, and other stakeholders play in moving them forward?

I very much look forward to hearing from you today.

As we work together to ensure we generate prosperity and equality alongside clean power.

IBF4

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