The international community should strengthen cooperation on natural resource governance to safeguard the stability of global resource supply and industrial chains, and contribute to international peace and development, says a Chinese envoy to the United Nations.
The UN Security Council held a high-level open debate on Wednesday themed “Natural resource governance: the foundation of peace, security and prosperity”. It explored how inclusive, transparent and sustainable natural resource governance can help reverse conflict dynamics and strengthen conditions for peace.
“Natural resources are precious gifts bestowed by the Earth on humanity and constitute the material foundation for human survival and sustained economic and social development,” said Sun Lei, charge d’affaires ad interim of China’s Permanent Mission to the UN.
“However, conflicts in some regions demonstrate that resource abundance does not automatically bring development and prosperity, while poor governance may trigger and fuel violence and conflict,” Sun said. Peace and stability are the solid guarantee for natural resource governance, he said.
The international community should uphold a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, remain committed to the peaceful settlement of disputes, urge parties to conflicts to cease military confrontation, and support regional countries and organizations in strengthening cooperation, he said.
It should also jointly combat the illegal exploitation and smuggling of natural resources, enhance supply chain transparency and traceability, and cut off armed conflicts’ access to natural resources at the source, he added.
The causes of armed conflict are “complex and diverse”, involving political, social and economic factors, Sun said.
“Natural resources should not simply be regarded as the root cause of conflicts, nor should normal economic, trade and industrial cooperation be securitized, politicized or instrumentalized,” he said.
Moreover, fairness and justice are important prerequisites for cooperation on natural resources, he said.
“International law grants states permanent sovereignty over their natural resources, and this principle must not be challenged.
“Certain countries should stop seizing the resources of other countries through sanctions, pressure and military coercion, and must not revert to colonial domination and plunder,” he said.
China supports building an open, inclusive, fair, equitable, cooperative, win-win, green and clean governance system for critical minerals, Sun said. He warned that using the pretext of “de-risking” or “national security” to pursue bloc confrontation and build exclusive “small circles” will only disrupt market order and undermine the common interests of all countries.
Sustainable development is the ultimate goal of natural resource development, he added.
“Facts have repeatedly shown that the persistent problem of the illicit exploitation of natural resources is rooted in poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment. To break the vicious cycle between natural resources and conflict, it is essential to support the countries concerned in achieving independent and sustainable development,” he said.
Fulfill commitments
Sun also called on the international community, especially developed countries, to fulfill their assistance commitments and support resource-rich countries, especially developing countries, in improving their resource governance systems and increasing the added value and returns of resource products.
Such efforts can be done through technology transfer, capacity-building, talent development and industrial upgrading, thereby reducing poverty, creating employment, truly benefiting local people, and building a stronger foundation for peace, he said.
At last year’s G20 Summit, China put forward the International Economic and Trade Cooperation Initiative on Green Mining and Minerals to promote the establishment of a new type of mineral resources partnership featuring openness, win-win cooperation, fairness and equity.
“China stands ready to work with the international community to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation on natural resources, better help relevant countries transform their resource endowments into drivers of development, and embark on a path toward lasting peace, stability, development and prosperity,” Sun said.
mingmeili@chinadailyusa.com
