DR Congo urges un to strengthen natural resource governance amid armed conflicts

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has called for urgent international action to address the direct link between natural resource exploitation and ongoing armed conflicts during a high-level United Nations session.

Speaking before the UN Security Council, Congolese Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner emphasized that the goal is not to establish new international obligations, but rather to strengthen existing mechanisms for tracking mineral origins, enforcing sanctions, and improving governance in the extractive sector.

In her address, Wagner made it clear that this initiative neither seeks to impose a universal mining code nor challenge the sovereign rights of nations to manage their own natural resources.

France, aligning itself with the DRC’s concerns, reiterated its support for UN Resolution 2773 regarding the eastern DRC crisis. Officials highlighted the M23 rebel group’s control over 15 to 30% of global coltan production in Rubaya, stressing the need for stricter traceability measures and targeted sanctions.

Global powers clash over mineral governance strategies

The United States focused its intervention on securing supply chains for critical minerals while promoting increased investment in responsible mining practices.

China, on the other hand, firmly advocated for respecting national sovereignty and cautioned against politicizing discussions on resource governance.

Russia took a more skeptical stance, arguing that regulatory gaps are not the primary driver of conflicts. Instead, it pointed to political instability and external interference as the root causes of regional insecurity.

These contrasting positions laid bare the deep divisions among permanent Security Council members regarding the management of natural resources on a global scale.