U.N. chief says natural resource control and extraction fueling conflict

Secretary-General António Guterres said that the control and exploitation of natural resources are dramatically altering the causes, dynamics, and the outcomes of conflict. He reiterated, “No more exploitation. No more plundering.”

Speaking at a Security Council meeting on natural resources governance today (22 Jul), Guterres stressed, “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 socioeconomic damage.”:

He added, “it is time to close the gap between a State’s recognized sovereignty over its natural resources, and its sovereign rights in practice.”

The UN chief highlighted, “countries and communities must benefit – first and most – from the resources in their own backyard,” adding that the UN is supporting national authorities to “strengthen governance and institutions, improve regulatory frameworks, and ensure minerals contribute to development and peacebuilding.”

Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of the Congo also spoke to the Council in her national capacity. Her government holds the Presidency of the Council for the month of July.

She said, “our ambition is clear: to transform our natural resources from a source of vulnerability into a driver of transformation, stability, and shared prosperity.”