UN calls for respecting international norms in critical minerals provisions - JURIST - News

## Summary
News Anfaenger / Pixabay The UN urged the global community on Thursday to respect its established norms for extracting and processing critical minerals amid rising global demand to ensure a just and equitable economic transition for all nations. Nevertheless, the UN emphasized that this global competition for minerals must comply with the UN principles and proper management guidelines to ensure a safe and equitable economic transition, especially for countries rich in these resources, in order to prevent geopolitical tensions, commodity dependence, and environmental challenges. Additionally, in 2025, the Working Group on Transforming the Extractive Industries for Sustainable Development produced the UN Guidance for Action on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, proposing measures to ensure that these minerals are extracted and used in ways that promote human rights, environmental protection, and equitable development. Furthermore, the surge in international demand for critical minerals and rare earth elements has placed resource-rich countries at the center of attention, as they represent the start of the supply chain, and given that the energy transition offers significant economic development opportunities.

## Article Content
News
Anfaenger
/ Pixabay
The UN
urged
the global community on Thursday to respect its established norms for extracting and processing critical minerals amid
rising
global demand to ensure a just and equitable economic transition for all nations.
The UN noted that
critical minerals
such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt are essential for the energy transition, given their role in energy technologies, including wind turbines, solar panels, electric vehicles, and battery storage. Global demand for these minerals is projected to increase over the coming decades as the world pursues a net-zero economy and shifts away from fossil fuels. Nevertheless, the UN emphasized that this global competition for minerals must comply with the UN principles and proper management guidelines to ensure a safe and equitable economic transition, especially for countries rich in these resources, in order to prevent geopolitical tensions, commodity dependence, and environmental challenges.
For this purpose, the UN established specific instruments and institutions responsible for issuing guidance and reports on mining activities and mineral exploitation, aiming to maximize benefits from the global energy transition. These initiatives include the creation of the
UN Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals
, which develops common and voluntary principles to guide the energy transition in a way that spurs sustainable development, protects the environement and generates prosperity in developing countries by bringing together governments, industry, international organisations, and civil society.
Additionally, in 2025, the
Working Group on Transforming the Extractive Industries for Sustainable Development
produced
the UN Guidance for Action on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, proposing measures to ensure that these minerals are extracted and used in ways that promote human rights, environmental protection, and equitable development.
Both the
transition
to a green economy and the development of artificial intelligence
depend
on critical minerals, resulting in increased
competition
for these elements
concentrated
in a few regions around the world, which is reshaping national industrial policies and security strategies. Furthermore, the surge in international demand for critical minerals and rare earth elements has placed resource-rich countries at the center of attention, as they represent the start of the supply chain, and given that the energy transition offers significant economic development opportunities.
However, there are underlying risks associated with the expansion of mining activities required to extract these metals, which have serious socio-economic and geopolitical consequences. Mining and processing of metals
generate
high greenhouse gas emissions, contribute to biodiversity loss, and cause water and soil
contamination
from toxic chemicals, as well as air and water pollution. In addition, mining can lead to the
destruction
of natural resources vital to local communities’ livelihoods and well-being, including water and agricultural land. The mining sector also faces challenges related to human rights violations linked to illegal mining and criminal activities in resource-rich countries such as
South Africa
and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
, which undermine the potential economic benefit for these nations.

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- Furthermore, the surge in international demand for critical minerals and rare earth elements has placed resource-rich countries at the center of attention, as they represent the start of the supply chain, and given that the energy transition offers significant economic development opportunities.
- The mining sector also faces challenges related to human rights violations linked to illegal mining and criminal activities in resource-rich countries such as South Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo , which undermine the potential economic benefit for these nations.

### Areas for Consideration
N/A

### Implications
- In addition, mining can lead to the destruction of natural resources vital to local communities’ livelihoods and well-being, including water and agricultural land.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers minerals, transition, energy topics. Notable strengths include discussion of minerals. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 476.