From lithium to nickel: How the UN is helping countries make the most of critical minerals

Digging them out of the ground may be the most straightforward part of the process. 

Around the world, the United Nations is helping countries make sure these valuable resources create decent jobs, protect the environment and benefit local communities – not just global supply chains.

Argentina: Putting communities at the centre of the lithium boom

Argentina sits on some of the world's largest lithium reserves, making it a key supplier for the batteries used in electric vehicles and renewable energy.

The United Nations is helping ensure local people have a say in how that development unfolds. It supports dialogue between governments, companies, workers and Indigenous communities so they can tackle issues ranging from environmental protection to economic opportunities together.

The UN is also helping provinces strengthen their financial planning so more of the benefits from lithium stay in local communities, while supporting skills training and efforts to bring more women into the sector.

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Turning mineral wealth into economic growth

The Democratic Republic of the Congo produces around 70 per cent of the world's cobalt, a mineral that is essential for many rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles and energy storage.

© Adobe Stock/Erberto Zani Cobalt is mined in Rubaya, in the eastern DR Congo, an area controlled by a militia.

The United Nations is supporting efforts to ensure that the country's critical mineral wealth contributes to broader economic development. This includes helping strengthen public policy, promoting responsible business conduct and supporting local businesses so they can participate in emerging battery and electric vehicle supply chains.

Indonesia: Getting more value from nickel

Indonesia is a major producer of nickel, a mineral that is essential for many electric vehicle batteries. 

Rather than relying mainly on exports of raw materials, the country is working to expand higher-value manufacturing at home.

© Adobe Stock/Mirwanto A truck transports material at a nickel mine in Indonesia.

The UN is supporting that effort by helping improve industrial production standards, promote cleaner manufacturing and increase domestic value addition across critical-mineral supply chains.

The UN is also helping strengthen occupational safety and health in mining, develop the green skills needed for a changing economy and share Indonesia's experience with other mineral-producing countries through South-South cooperation on sustainable mining and responsible resource governance.

Kazakhstan: Making mining cleaner and more accountable

Kazakhstan is working to strengthen the governance of its critical mineral sector as global demand for these resources continues to grow.

The United Nations is supporting efforts to strengthen oversight of critical mineral supply chains by helping align national frameworks with international standards and identify risks linked to crime, corruption and weak accountability.

Support also includes improving mine safety and labour standards, promoting responsible business conduct in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and exploring ways to recover valuable raw materials from electronic waste to reduce the need for new extraction.

Zambia: Mining new local jobs

Zambia's rich mineral resources have an important role to play in the clean energy transition. The United Nations is helping ensure that mining also creates new opportunities for workers, local businesses and communities.

Support includes developing a national mining skills strategy, preparing workers for jobs in mining and battery value chains, and helping small and medium-sized businesses participate in emerging electric vehicle supply chains.

The UN is also working with artisanal and small-scale miners to improve safety, strengthen environmental safeguards and support formalization.

 Local communities are taking part in monitoring mining's environmental impacts alongside government, universities and mining companies, helping build trust around mining projects.

Material gathered by the UN Development Coordination Office