Fajer Rabia Pasha

Statement by Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad Permanent Representative of Pakistan, At the UN Security Council Briefing on “Energy, Critical Minerals, and Security” (5 March 2026) ****** Mr. President, Secretary Wright, we welcome your presence and presiding over this Council session. We also thank USG Rosemary DiCarlo for her useful briefing. 2. Access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy is essential for development, stability and prosperity. The global transition toward renewable energy, electric mobility, battery storage, advanced manufacturing, digital infrastructure and grid modernization has sharply increased the demand for critical minerals. This upsurge has generated new geopolitical and geo-economic pressures. If not managed responsibly, competition over natural resources can affect supply chains, aggravate tensions, undermine sovereignty, and contribute to instability. 3. Experience shows that where mineral wealth intersects with weak governance, entrenched poverty and external interference, the risks of instability increase. In several conflict-affected settings, illicit extraction, trafficking networks and opaque financial flows have fuelled armed conflict and violence, weakened state institutions and deprived populations of legitimate revenues. 4. The scramble for natural resources and its linkage to conflict and instability is therefore not new. It will be good to change the course. Pakistan believes that natural resources must serve as instruments of economic development and shared prosperity, and not coercion or conflict. Mr. President, 5. This applies equally to water, the most critical of natural resources. In particular shared water resources are indispensable for sustaining life, and for sustainable development and prosperity. We reject the weaponization of water to choke this lifeline for lower riparians, also threatening regional peace, security and stability. Pakistan itself is confronted with water terrorism by India that has resorted to unilateral and unlawful action of putting in abeyance of the Indus Waters Treaty in violation of international law and the provisions of that Treaty. International community must impress upon India to return to full compliance with the Indus Waters Treaty, which remains valid and in-force as per the August 2025 award of the Court of Arbitration. Mr. President, 6. The production and trade in critical minerals must respect national ownership, domestic priorities, and the right of developing countries to pursue value addition and industrialization, with a view to transforming them from mere raw material exporters to integrated hubs for processing and refining. 7. The concentration of critical minerals supply chains, price volatility, export restrictions and geopolitical competition are creating new vulnerabilities in global energy and economic security framework. Efforts to secure supply must not devolve into bloc-politics, economic coercion or exclusionary arrangements, thereby ensuring that supply chain diversification does not become a tool for geopolitical containment. Fragmentation of global markets will undermine both energy transition objectives and collective security. 8. In this context, we would like to emphasize the following points: First, we must reaffirm the right of peoples to permanent sovereignty over their natural resources, which remain a foundational principle of international law, also enshrined in GA resolution 1803. All partnerships in the critical minerals sector must be cooperative and not exploitative, respect national ownership, ensure transparent contractual arrangements and align with host countries’ development strategies. Second, in order to prevent the exploitation of mineral-producing countries and regions, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected settings, support their capacity-building for strengthening domestic regulatory institutions, combating illicit financial flows, ensuring environmental safeguards, and promoting equitable benefit-sharing with local communities. Third, promote equitable participation in global value chains. Developing countries must be enabled to move beyond extraction towards processing, refining and downstream manufacturing. Technology transfer, skills development and responsible investment are essential to avoid perpetuating structural imbalances. Fourth, preserve an open, predictable, non-discriminatory international trading system. Supply chain diversification should enhance resilience, not entrench divisions. Multilateral cooperation, rather than unilateral measures, remains the most credible path to energy security. Fifth, ensure that the private sector and global corporations participate in this endeavour responsibly. Investor-State Dispute Settlement procedures must be fair and equitable, without causing any undue burden on developing nations. Mr. President, 9. In this era of technological transformation, the governance of energy and critical minerals must remain firmly anchored in the UN Charter and international law. Managed in accordance with these principles, these resources can drive sustainable development and shared global prosperity. Mismanaged or exploited, they risk deepening inequalities and intensifying geopolitical tensions. 10. Pakistan is committed to the responsible development of its energy and mineral resources. The Government of Pakistan has launched targeted initiatives to accelerate exploration and development of critical minerals. We are strengthening our regulatory frameworks, modernizing geological mapping, improving licensing transparency and promoting environmentally responsible mining practices. Our objective is to ensure that our resource potential translates into industrial growth and social development. 11. Pakistan stands ready to work with all members of the Council and beyond to ensure that critical minerals become catalysts for sustainable development, progress and stability. I thank you