New York, 23 September 2026 – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres today announced a new Country Support Mechanism on Critical Energy Transition Minerals. The Mechanism will assist resource-rich developing countries build sustainable, responsible and resilient mineral value chains, ensuring the benefits reach the people and nations at the source of the transition. Guinea, Indonesia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Zambia and Zimbabwe will be the first countries to receive dedicated support through this innovative new initiative.
“The countries that hold the critical minerals powering the energy transition must be the first to benefit from them, “Guterres said. “With Guinea, Indonesia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Zambia and Zimbabwe as our first partners, the Country Support Mechanism puts equity and justice into practice – to turn mineral wealth into jobs and prosperity at home.”
Critical energy transition minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements are essential components in many of today’s rapidly growing clean energy technologies – from wind turbines and solar panels to electric vehicles and battery storage. Demand for critical minerals is set to almost triple by 2030 as the world transitions from fossil fuels to renewable energy in order to reduce global carbon dioxide emissions to net zero by 2050.
For developing countries endowed with these natural resources, rising demand presents an opportunity to diversify economies, strengthen value addition and industrial development, and create jobs. But without strong governance and responsible management, mineral extraction risks perpetuating commodity dependence, exacerbating geopolitical tensions, and saddling resource-rich communities with the environmental and human impacts without realising any of the benefits.
In response, the United Nations has worked to deepen international collaboration on critical minerals and build trust between governments, local communities and industry to address issues relating to equity, transparency, investment, sustainability and human rights. It has also elevated the needs of resource-rich developing countries who are now at the centre of a new global commodities race. The United Nations is now deepening its support to these countries to help them address these challenges through a dedicated Country Support Mechanism that will provide coordinated, technical and capacity building assistance that ensures they see real and lasting benefit.
Under the leadership of the UN Development Programme and the UN Development Coordination Office, the Country Support Mechanism will coordinate and leverage UN-system expertise into a single offer for developing countries. By working on the ground through the UN Resident Offices, the Mechanism will work with countries to identify specific needs and respond with tailored assistance, prioritizing governance, value addition, industrial development and environmental and human safeguards. These efforts will be guided by the principles and recommendations of the Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals which seek to ensure equity, justice, and sustainability in extraction.
Guinea, Indonesia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Zambia and Zimbabwe – representing diverse mineral profiles and development contexts – will be the first countries to receive dedicated support through this innovative new Mechanism.
“As one of the world’s leading lithium producers, Zimbabwe recognizes that critical minerals are central to the global energy transition. That transition must deliver equitable benefits for resource-rich developing countries, including through greater value addition and participation across critical mineral value chains. We therefore applaud Secretary-General Guterres for advancing a Mechanism that will translate this principle into practice,” said Hon. Professor Dr. Amon Murwira, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Zimbabwe.
“Zambia has been a copper nation for decades, contributing to global industrial development and, increasingly, the clean energy and digital transitions. As demand for critical minerals grows, our ambition under the Grow Zambia Agenda is not simply to produce more, but to create greater value at home through investment, value addition, industrialisation and jobs. We want Zambians to be full participants in, not simply suppliers to, the global clean energy and technology transition. This requires strong governance, investment and partnerships that enable resource-rich countries to move up the value chain. We therefore welcome the Country Support Mechanism as an important initiative designed to support that ambition,”said Hon. Mulambo Haimbe, SC, MP, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Zambia.
“Critical minerals can help countries diversify and transform their economies. However, to turn mineral wealth into a true driver of development, countries need value creation, environmental protection and good governance to advance together. The UN Country Support Mechanism is designed to provide on-the-ground expertise to countries and help ensure that critical mineral wealth translates into stronger opportunities for people and communities” said Alexander de Croo, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme.
“Critical minerals can unlock new pathways for sustainable development, but only if they are sourced responsibly. UNEP will actively contribute to the Country Support Mechanism to help countries protect environmental integrity, advance circularity, and support resilient livelihood opportunities” said Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme.
“For too long, the global economy has left resource-rich developing countries as raw material exporters rather than industrial partners. The Country Support Mechanism is a concrete step toward changing that: helping countries build the value chains, governance frameworks and industrial capacity to become full participants in the clean energy economy,”said Pedro Manuel Moreno, Deputy Secretary-General and Acting Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
The Country Support Mechanism is part of the broader effort of the UN Task Force on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, co-led by the UN Development Programme, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the United Nations Environment Programme. The Task Force is coordinating UN system work to advance the recommendations of the Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals and support their implementation. The initiative aims to help countries harness their mineral resources to advance sustainable development, economic diversification and a just and equitable clean energy transition.
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More Information:
https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/climate-summit-2026
Media Contact:
David Pedroza | david.pedrozacastro@un.org
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