Published on: 2026-07-22
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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July 22, 2026 Peace and Security
Illegal extraction and exploitation of natural resources fuel armed conflicts, strengthen the influence of criminal groups, and deprive countries of the opportunity to use their own wealth for development purposes. This was stated by UN Secretary-General António Guterres during Wednesday’s open Security Council debates dedicated to the role of natural resource management in ensuring peace, security, and prosperity.
The high-level meeting is chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Theresa Kajikwamba Wagner.
According to the head of the UN, the growing global demand for minerals used in electronics and clean energy, such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements, opens new opportunities for producing countries to develop. At the same time, it intensifies geopolitical competition, puts pressure on global supply chains, and in some cases becomes a factor fueling armed conflicts.
“Too often, revenues from the illegal exploitation of natural resources delay the prospect of achieving peace,” emphasized the Secretary-General.
From the DRC to Sudan
Guterres cited the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo as an example, where armed groups profit from illegal mining and smuggling of minerals, while the peaceful population continues to suffer from violence.
According to him, a similar situation is observed in Sudan, where the struggle for political and territorial dominance is fueled by the exploitation of natural resources, primarily gold and gum arabic. This, he noted, has led to mass atrocities and the forced displacement of millions of people.
The greatest price, according to the Secretary-General, is paid by the most vulnerable groups of the population – women, children, and communities deprived of their lands.
“The Security Council has long recognized that the illegal trade in natural resources and their exploitation play an important role in financing armed groups, fueling conflicts, and exacerbating humanitarian crises,” the UN chief said.
Four priorities
Guterres identified four key areas that, in his view, should form the basis of international efforts. The first he named was ensuring fairness. According to the Secretary-General, countries and local communities should first and foremost benefit from the natural resources they possess.
“It is time to put an end to the long-standing practice where resources are extracted in one country, while the main added value is created in another, leaving the local population to face poverty alone with the environmental and socio-economic consequences,” he said.
The head of the UN noted that this problem is particularly acute in Africa, where the consequences of colonialism combined with governance issues limit countries’ ability to manage their natural resources independently.
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According to him, the UN helps countries strengthen governance institutions, improve legislation, conclude fairer agreements in the mining sector, develop domestic raw material processing, and use revenues from mineral extraction more efficiently. Such support is already being provided, in particular, to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Uganda, and Zambia.
The second priority named by the Secretary-General was preventing illegal trade. He emphasized that combating the illegal exploitation of natural resources must cover the entire chain—from extraction to the entry of products into global markets. This requires closer cooperation between producing countries, transit states, and consumer countries, as well as increased transparency, the development of traceability systems for raw materials, and information exchange.
As an example, Guterres mentioned the recent decision of the European Union to ban the purchase, import, and transfer of gold from Sudan, as well as the export to that country of mercury and cyanide used in gold mining.
According to the Secretary General’s speech, the third direction should be the peaceful settlement of disputes. According to him, issues of access to natural resources, ownership, distribution of income, and control over territories often lie at the heart of political conflicts and must be taken into account in the process of mediation and peace negotiations.
The fourth priority named by Guterres was taking climate factors into account. Droughts, floods, environmental degradation, and ecosystem destruction reduce access to land, water, and minerals, which increases social tension, weakens state institutions, and can lead to outbreaks of violence, he noted.
“No more exploitation”
In conclusion, the Secretary-General called for a change to the existing model of natural resource use.
“No more exploitation. No more plundering,” he said.
According to Guterres, it is necessary to deprive armed groups and criminal networks of the revenues that allow them to continue conflicts. Instead, natural resources should be used to finance inclusive and sustainable development, strengthen state institutions, and achieve peace and prosperity.
“Ultimately, this is a political choice. And I urge the members of the Security Council to choose peace,” concluded the Secretary-General.
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