An initiative of the
Following its 8th Meeting and ahead of the 7th UN Environmental Assembly (UNEA-7), the members of the Global Council for Responsible Transition Minerals adopted a letter to support and propose guidance for the draft Resolution on the Environmentally Sound Management of Minerals and Metals, submitted by Colombia and the Sultanate of Oman.
H.E. Abdullah Bin Ali Al-Amri
President of UNEA-7,
President of the Environment Authority of Oman
Paris, November 28, 2025
Support and proposed guidance for the draft Resolution on the Environmentally Sound Management of Minerals and Metals at the 7th UN Environmental Assembly (UNEA-7)
Your Excellency,
With this letter, the Global Council for Responsible Transition Minerals, a high-level, independent and multistakeholder group from diverse sectors, both from the Global North and South, would like to commend the presidency of UNEA-7 for putting minerals on the UNEA’s agenda in a joint effort with the Republic of Colombia and share some thoughts.
Without international cooperation, the management of minerals risks deepening geopolitical tensions, worsening environmental degradation, and entrenching human rights abuses in vulnerable mining regions, while the rush for resources may disproportionately benefit industrialized nations’ energy transitions at the expense of equitable development.
Convinced of the need to address these risks collectively, the Global Council has consistently advocated for strengthened global governance tools, including an international agreement on mineral resources management. In a report published last year, the Global Council specifically called for the establishment of a working group to draw a roadmap towards an international agreement of resources, which would serve to foster international collaboration on access and benefit-sharing.
The Global Council therefore welcomes the draft Resolution submitted by the Republic of Colombia and the Sultanate of Oman in the lead up to UNEA-7 to advance options for international instruments on the environmentally sound management of minerals and metals and guidance for mineral resources circularity. The Global Council strongly encourages the Assembly to advance this work, which is an important step towards a better multilateral governance of minerals.
The Global Council also wishes to emphasize that while the environment is an important aspect of minerals governance, it is not the only one. Efforts under UNEA would benefit from being part of a comprehensive approach that also addresses social and economic dimensions: transparent and predictable trade rules, equitable revenue-sharing, meaningful community engagement and consent, decent work and labor rights, technology transfer and skills, value creation in producer countries, and inclusion of artisanal and small-scale mining.
In the Global Council’s view, establishing an intergovernmental working group tasked under UNEP’s mandate to develop a roadmap toward an international agreement would represent a positive and concrete first step towards institutionalizing global mineral governance. This working group could lay the foundation for a holistic international agreement on mineral resource management - one that address minerals challenges beyond its environmental aspects – or a dedicated international minerals Agency.
The Global Council calls for the working group to be inclusive and work with groups representing the various stakeholders involved. The Global Council stands ready to participate in inclusive dialogues that can support the work of UNEA-7 and any expert group established pursuant to the resolution.
Please accept, Excellency, the assurance of our highest consideration.
KANDEH YUMKELLA & BRUNO OBERLE
Co-Chairs of the
Global Council for Responsible Transition Minerals