Security Council debrief: Race for critical minerals intensifies amidst warnings of conflict

The world needs more critical minerals than ever before for electric vehicles, wind turbines, solar panels, batteries and smartphones.They are all essential as part of the global shift away from fossil fuels towards cleaner energy sources But there is a catch. Many of these minerals are found in countries affected by conflict, weak governance or poverty.What’s at stake?If these natural resources are poorly managed, they can fuel corruption, finance armed groups, damage the environment and leave local communities no better off than before.Those competing realities dominated a day-long debate in the UN Security Council on Wednesday, where ministers and diplomats asked a simple but increasingly urgent question: How can the world ensure that the race for critical minerals powers the clean energy transition without also driving conflict?Here’s what happenedThe meeting marked a clear shift in how many Member States are framing critical minerals; not only as an economic issue, but as a question of peace, security, justice and shared prosperity.UN Photo/Loey FelipeSecretary-General António Guterres (centre) addresses the UN Security Council meeting on natural resources governance.The stron...