DR Congo drives UN push for natural‑resource governance to curb conflict financing

The Democratic Republic of Congo, chairing the United Nations Security Council, organised a high‑level Arria meeting at the UN headquarters in New York on 13 July. Hosted by foreign‑affairs minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, the session gathered Security Council members, UN states, regional organisations, civil‑society actors and private‑sector representatives to discuss gaps in international legal frameworks that allow natural‑resource exploitation to fund armed conflicts.

Kinshasa aims to promote a new, transparent and accountable regime for the extraction and trade of minerals, linking resource governance to peace, security and sustainable development. President Félix Tshisekedi will chair a public debate on 21 July to further explore how transparent resource rules can become a tool for conflict prevention and shared prosperity.