Munich, 16 February, 2025 – At this year’s Munich Security Conference (MSC), UNIDO organized in cooperation with GIZ and UNIDO’s Investment and Technology Promotion Office-Berlin an event on the topic of "Conflict vs. Cooperation: Critical Minerals for Security and Sustainable Development".

The roundtable event brought together 25 high-ranking decision-makers from politics, business, and civil society, including Amara Camara (Guinea Vice President), Mukhtar Babayev (Azerbaijan Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources and COP29 President), Jochen Flasbarth (Germany State Secretary of the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development), Zane Dangor (Republic of South Africa, G20-Sherpa),  Stefan Wintels (KfW, CEO), Nicola Beer (EIB, Vice President), Ingrid-Gabriela Hoven (GIZ, Member of the Management Board), Dirk Stenkamp (TÜV North, CEO), Joao Caholo (Executive Secretary, International Conference on the Great Lakes Region), and Ólafur Grimsson (Chairman of the Arctic Circle and former President of Iceland).

UNIDO Director General Gerd Müller emphasized in his keynote address the urgent need to promote innovative solutions for the responsible extraction and use of critical minerals. “Green Minerals are the foundation for the energy transition and high-tech products and extraction of them will increase by 500% by 2050 to meet the demand, but business-as-usual growth in mining will only lead to more emissions. We must set up a fair global framework for extraction and processing, one that also protects miners themselves and the environment.  We must create win-win conditions for the countries that have these minerals, and the ones that need them.  With our Global Alliance for Responsible and Green Minerals, we are working to promote sustainable and fair supply chains. Alongside the UN Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, we are developing standards that will help guide responsible industry practices.” 

The event highlighted both the challenges and opportunities posed by critical minerals. It explored how companies and governments can responsibly manage the competition for these often scarce resources while promoting cooperation over conflict. Sascha Raabe, Head of the Global Alliance for Responsible and Green Minerals, added that UNIDO’S aim is to create a level playing field through credible, globally applicable ESG criteria developed by the United Nations in cooperation with all stakeholders.. Countries rich in these resources benefit from new economic opportunities, including increased local value addition, job creation, and economic diversification. The social, environmental and human rights risks posed by rising demand means that access to critical minerals has become a key factor in geopolitical stability, global security, and economic resilience. Additionally, discussions examined how sustainability considerations could shape strategies for building resilient and conflict-free supply chains for these vital minerals.

Müller also held numerous bilateral discussions concerning the development of international standards for sustainable production with Sergio Mujica, Secretary General of ISO as well as with Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary of the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development they agreed on closer cooperation for global standard-setting. 

In his meeting with Jessika Roswall, newly appointed European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Müller and Roswall agreed to cooperate more closely on clean water technology, alternatives to plastic, biodiversity and UNIDO’s support for the upcoming EU Circular Economy Act.

UNIDO's ITPO-Berlin participated additionally in several strategic exchanges, including with Bayer AG and the Government of the Netherlands on new water technologies and strategies and with the BMW Foundation on raw materials.