Natural Resources
Expected Council Action
In July, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will convene a high-level open debate on the theme “Natural resource governance: the foundation of peace, security and prosperity” under the “Maintenance of international peace and security” agenda item. DRC’s President Félix Tshisekedi is expected to chair the meeting, which is one of the signature events of the DRC’s July presidency. Secretary-General Antόnio Guterres and a civil society representative are the anticipated briefers.
Key Recent Developments
Over the years, the Council has explored the link between natural resources and insecurity both as a thematic topic and in the context of country-specific or regional files. More recently, the US convened a briefing on “Energy, critical minerals, and security” under the “Maintenance of international peace and security” agenda item as a signature event of its March presidency. US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright chaired the meeting, and Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo briefed. (For more information, see our 4 March What’s in Blue story.)
In July 2025, then-Council member Sierra Leone convened an Arria-formula meeting titled “The Global Race for Critical Minerals: Addressing Resource-Driven Insecurity in Africa”, with the objective of strengthening international awareness of the link between critical minerals and insecurity in Africa and identifying actionable policy measures to address the issue. (For more information, see our 8 July 2025 What’s in Blue story.)
In October 2021, Kenya convened a ministerial-level debate on the Great Lakes region that explored ways of curbing the illegal exploitation and trade of natural resources. The outcome of the meeting was the adoption of a presidential statement proposed by the Kenyan presidency, which recognised the adverse effects of the illegal exploitation and trade in natural resources in fuelling and exacerbating conflict in the region. (For more information, see our 19 October 2021 What’s in Blue story.)
Several sanctions committees established to monitor implementation of sanctions measures imposed by the Council—for example, the 2713 Al-Shabaab Sanctions Committee, the 2745 Central African Republic (CAR) Sanctions Committee, the 1718 Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Sanctions Committee, the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee, the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee, and the 2206 South Sudan Sanctions Committee—include listing criteria linking the exploitation of natural resources and insecurity. Panels of Experts assisting the work of many of these committees provide insights into the impact of illegal natural resource exploitation in fuelling conflicts.
The 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee, which devotes considerable attention to the issue of natural resource exploitation, has held informal consultations on “DRC-mined gold, tantalum and tungsten: illicit trading in DRC and internationally” on two occasions, on 30 July 2021 and 3 June 2024. The Group of Experts assisting the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee also regularly covers the illegal exploitation of natural resources in its periodic reports to the sanctions committee and issues recommendations for addressing the problem, including in its most recent final report submitted to the committee in June.
Key Issues and Options
Enhancing natural resource governance, particularly as a means of addressing resource-driven conflicts, is a key issue for Council members. In this connection, efforts to strengthen the effectiveness of various national, regional, and international mechanisms, such as the Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Regional Certification Mechanism of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR)—designed to curb the illegal exploitation of natural resources, have been a recurring theme in Council discussions on some country-specific and regional files. One possible option for the DRC, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the ICGLR, is to invite the ICGLR Executive Secretary to brief on the region’s experience in addressing the nexus between natural resources and conflict.
In its past resolutions and presidential statements, the Council has also emphasised the important contribution that voluntary principles and standards, such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), play in encouraging the private sector to adopt responsible business practices and promote the lawful, transparent, and sustainable management and exploitation of natural resources. However, across different conflict zones, armed groups continue to fuel violence and instability by engaging in illicit exploitation of natural resources, taking advantage of gaps in implementing existing regional and international mechanisms.
Enhancing the effectiveness of sanctions measures in curbing the illegal exploitation of natural resources remains an ongoing issue for Council members. Panels of Experts assisting sanctions committees could provide recommendations for strengthening transparency and ensuring traceability, certification, and responsible sourcing throughout supply chains. However, efforts to implement these recommendations require consensus among Council members, which at times could be difficult to achieve because of divergent views over the scope and application of sanctions measures. The fact that sanctions committees are currently operating only on a limited basis due to the lack of agreement on the appointment of chairs of subsidiary bodies may have also constrained Council members’ ability to address the issue effectively.
Another issue is how to integrate natural resources management into conflict prevention strategies and ensure sustainable recovery and peacebuilding. In this regard, the Council could benefit from the advisory role of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), which has given particular attention to this issue as part of broader efforts to address the root causes and structural drivers of conflict.
Another possible option for the DRC is to pursue a Council product in due course, building on previous resolutions and presidential statements as well as the discussions during the open debate and other meetings planned during the month.
Council and Wider Dynamics
Council members appear to be broadly supportive of addressing the linkage between natural resources and conflict. They also recognise the need to tackle the root causes and structural drivers of conflict, including by curbing the illegal exploitation of natural resources, which continue to serve as a source of revenue for armed groups operating across various conflict settings.
Recently, there has been heightened attention around the issue of natural resources in the Council in the context of current geopolitical dynamics. Major powers are competing to secure a steady supply of natural resources, particularly critical minerals, which are essential raw materials for clean energy, electronic technology, national defence, and aerospace industries. It appears that securing critical mineral supply chains has become a central focus of US diplomatic engagement.
The DRC is believed to possess significant reserves of critical minerals and plays a central role in global supply chains, attracting the attention of major powers and multinational corporations. In December 2025, the US and the DRC signed a bilateral strategic partnership agreement after the DRC government offered the US a deal that would allow it to secure critical minerals in the DRC in exchange for US support in the government’s fight against the Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23) rebel group in eastern DRC. The DRC, a country that has been at the intersection of natural resources exploitation and insecurity for decades, appears to have made the issue of natural resource governance a priority during its 2026-2027 tenure on the Security Council. It is likely to continue highlighting the issue in the context of the unfolding developments in the eastern part of the country and the broader Great Lakes region, where the illegal exploitation of natural resources continues to fuel conflict and exacerbate regional tensions.
In July, the DRC also intends to convene an Arria-formula meeting under the theme, “Assessment of the normative gap regarding natural resources and peace: foundations and prospects”. The meeting is expected to be chaired by the DRC’s Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Francophonie Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner.
| Security Council Presidential Statements | |
| 20 October 2021S/PRST/2021/19 | This presidential statement recognised the progress made in the implementation of national and regional commitments under the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework, and urged the signatory states to remain committed to its full implementation. |
| 25 June 2007S/PRST/2007/22 | This presidential statement was on the role of natural resources in conflict. |
| Security Council Meeting Records | |
| 5 March 2026S/PV.10114 | This was an open briefing held under the “Maintenance of international peace and security” agenda item on energy, critical minerals, and security. |
