Addis Ababa, September 14, 2026 (FMC) — United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called for a more equitable approach to the critical minerals powering the global energy transition, warning against the exploitation of resource-rich countries and urging that minerals generate greater value and employment where they are produced.
Addressing the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi during the segment on international organizations and BRICS institutions, Guterres said critical minerals must be managed responsibly, with value addition and jobs reaching producing countries and communities.
“Enough plundering,” the UN chief said, delivering one of the sharpest messages of his intervention as he linked the management of critical minerals to wider questions of economic justice and global development.
His remarks come as demand for critical minerals continues to grow because of their importance to renewable energy, advanced manufacturing and other technologies underpinning the global energy transition.
For resource-producing developing countries, Guterres’ call points to a central challenge in the emerging global economy: ensuring that the countries supplying strategic raw materials capture a greater share of the economic value generated from them rather than remaining confined to the export of unprocessed resources.
The message also resonated with the broader BRICS discussion on strengthening cooperation between major economies and resource-rich countries. Ethiopia, which joined the expanded BRICS grouping, has emphasized the opportunity to connect Africa’s natural resources with capital, technology and markets while creating greater value where resources are found.
Guterres framed the minerals question within his wider call for a more balanced global system, arguing that the institutions and economic arrangements governing international affairs must respond to today’s changing realities and give developing countries greater participation and influence.
He also called for reforms to the international financial architecture, stronger support for developing countries, greater climate finance and a more equitable global response to the challenges accompanying the energy transition.
His intervention placed the question of who benefits from the world’s critical resources alongside the broader BRICS debate over development, economic transformation and a changing global order.