New York, 22 July 2026 - Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United Nations Ambassador Kairat Umarov participated in the United Nations Security Council high-level open debate entitled “Natural Resource Governance as a Foundation for Peace, Security and Prosperity", held under the presidency of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The debate focused on the interlinkages between effective natural resource governance, conflict prevention and sustainable development.

In his statement, the Permanent Representative emphasized that responsible and transparent governance of natural resources is an essential prerequisite for strengthening international peace and security. He noted that the illicit exploitation of natural resources contributes to the financing of armed groups and the prolongation of conflicts, while effective governance creates conditions conducive to economic growth, stronger state institutions and long-term stability.

K.Umarov presented Kazakhstan’s experience in the field of natural resource governance, noting that as one of the world's leading producers of uranium, hydrocarbons, and critical minerals, the country consistently promotes the principles of transparency and accountability. He underscored the importance of developing domestic value-added processing, facilitating technology transfer, strengthening human capital, and establishing high-value manufacturing industries, particularly in light of the growing global demand for critical minerals.

The representative of Kazakhstan also highlighted the important role of the United Nations in assisting Member States in strengthening natural resource governance through preventive diplomacy, peacekeeping operations, sanctions regimes, expert monitoring, and capacity-building programmes. At the same time, he stressed that the primary responsibility for the governance of natural resources rests with sovereign States, while international cooperation should be conducted in full respect of the principles of the UN Charter, including the sovereign rights of States over their natural resources.

In conclusion, K.Umarov referred to the experience of Central Asia, where dialogue and regional cooperation have helped transform shared natural resources from a potential source of tension into an instrument for confidence-building and sustainable development. He reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s readiness to continue contributing to international efforts aimed at promoting transparent, accountable, and sustainable natural resource governance in the interests of peace, security and shared prosperity.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-kazakhstanun/press/news/details/1265004?lang=ru