The UN Secretary General's recommendations on critical minerals

On September 11th, the UN Panel for Critical Energy Transition Minerals released its report, “Resourcing the Energy Transition: Principles to Guide Critical Energy Transition Minerals Towards Equity and Justice,” following only a few months of work. The panel had held its first official meeting on May 22nd and conducted an impressive number of consultative meetings and stakeholder dialogues in a short span of time.

There is a broad consensus that the report's publication was timely, providing much-needed guidelines from the UN on issues like human rights, equity, responsibility, Indigenous rights, and environmental protection. It is perceived as a significant victory for civil society, raising awareness about mineral-related issues and engaging civil society organizations more deeply.

The UN Secretary General officially endorsed the report and highlighted its significance during his address at the UN General Assembly. He extended the UN Panel’s mandate by two months beyond its scheduled dissolution, which was to occur upon the report’s publication. To ensure the report's recommendations lead to concrete action, each recommendation will be assigned to a specific UN agency for implementation. A high-profile event centered around the report is being planned for COP29, during the leaders’ summit, to raise the report’s visibility and secure broad support from member states for a UN mandate to follow up on its findings, including securing necessary financing. The panel’s future after COP29 remains undecided, with further developments expected in the coming months.

The UN Panel and the Global Council for Responsible Transition Minerals share a common starting point: identifying normative gaps in global governance within the international supply chains of minerals critical to the energy transition. Both initiatives focus on some similar themes, such as beneficiation and sustainability in mineral value chains. However, their approaches and composition differ significantly. The UN Panel is primarily an intergovernmental initiative, involving 25 State actors (including the European Union and the African Union), 8 international organizations, 4 actors from civil society and 2 from the private sector. Its institutional legitimacy and credibility are bolstered by the extensive resources at its disposal. In contrast, the Global Council functions as an independent, multistakeholder initiative, free from direct State involvement. This independence allows it the flexibility to assess the rapidly changing and fragmented landscape, while its diverse composition enables it to tackle key issues central to civil society and private sector concerns beyond national interests. 

The complementary nature of these initiatives and the importance of collaborating were both recognized during the inaugural meeting of the Global Council for Responsible Transition Minerals, which was attended by Ditte Juul-Joergensen, Co-Chair of the UN Panel. To prevent duplication, the Global Council decided to postpone issuing its own recommendations until after the release of the UN report. Representatives of both groups met on the sidelines of UNGA on September 23rd to discuss how the Global Council can complement the UN's work. This meeting was significant for both raising the Council's visibility and facilitating information sharing. It was agreed that the initiatives would remain in contact, while the Council continues developing its own recommendations with input from its multistakeholder group of Special Advisors. The aim is to challenge misconceptions and explore innovative ideas, placing expert voices above political considerations. A first set of  recommendations will be drafted for the Council for review on November 10th, with plans for an official launch at COP29.