2nd AFRICA CLIMATE SUMMIT
ECA SIDE EVENT AT ACS-2:
HIGH-LEVEL DIALOGUE:
Theme:
Towards an African Position on Critical Green Minerals Diplomacy
Opening Remarks
By
Mr. Claver Gatete
United Nations Under-Secretary-General and
Executive Secretary of ECA
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
10 September 2025
H.E. Habtamu Tegegn, Minister of Mines and Petroleum, Government of Ethiopia,
H.E. Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Government of Uganda,
Mr. Selwin Hart, Assistant Secretary General and the Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Climate Action and the Just Transition,
Ms. Ellen Davis, Head of Programme, African Climate Foundation (ACF),
Distinguished Panelists,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
It is a great pleasure to welcome you to this important side event of the 2nd Africa Climate Summit under the theme: “Towards an African Position on Critical Green Minerals Diplomacy.”
I wish to begin by expressing deep appreciation to our host, the Government of Ethiopia, and to acknowledge the leadership of the African Union, Afreximbank, the African Climate Foundation and all partners who have made today’s dialogue possible.
I am equally grateful to our distinguished panelists and participants for their commitment to advancing Africa’s position on critical green minerals diplomacy.
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
We convene today at a moment of profound global transformation.
Across continents, the urgency of the climate crisis has accelerated the race toward clean energy solutions.
Consequently, countries are rethinking their energy systems, industries are reinventing their production models and global markets are evolving in ways we could not have imagined a decade ago.
At the very center of this transformation lie critical minerals from lithium, cobalt, graphite, copper, manganese to rare earths, which are the indispensable building blocks for solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and electric vehicles, among others.
Quite simply, there can be no global green transition without these minerals.
And where are these minerals found in abundance? Here in Africa.
Indeed, Africa is home to more than 30% of the world’s reserves of these strategic resources.
For example, the Democratic Republic of Congo alone supplies about 70% of global cobalt production, while South Africa is among the world’s top producers of manganese and platinum group metals.
Mozambique and Madagascar hold significant graphite reserves, Zimbabwe is emerging as a major player in lithium, and Niger and Namibia possess vast deposits of uranium that remain essential for nuclear energy and the clean energy transition.
This reality positions Africa not at the margins, but at the very heart of the global energy transition.
However, we must ask ourselves: will Africa once again be reduced to the role of a mere supplier of raw materials, repeating the mistakes of history?
Or will we seize this moment to redefine our trajectory to build industries, create jobs, promote inclusive growth and ensure that the benefits of our resources remain with our people?
Distinguished Colleagues,
The answer lies in our ability to act together, to speak with one voice and to negotiate from a position of strength.
Without a coordinated African stance, the risk is real: extractive models will persist, environmental degradation will deepen and inequities in value distribution will widen.
But with unity, Africa can leverage its mineral wealth to drive industrialization, advance regional value chains and power a just energy transition that leaves no one behind.
This is why the Economic Commission for Africa is working closely with our Member States, the African Union and partners to align this conversation with the Africa Mining Vision, the African Green Minerals Strategy, African Union Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Our objective is to contribute to a unified African position on critical green minerals diplomacy.
We simply have no choice but to be strategic.
In light of these realities, I wish to present four strategic recommendations that can guide our collective path forward.
First, Africa must prioritize local value addition.
Instead of exporting raw cobalt or lithium, we must build the capacity to process, refine and manufacture within Africa.
This way, we can generate jobs, grow industries and secure sustainable revenues for our governments and people.
ECA, in partnership with Afreximbank and other African institutions, is already spearheading a continental Battery and Electric Vehicle value chain initiative.
Starting in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, it aims to develop industrial hubs for battery manufacturing and clean mobility – demonstrating Africa’s capacity to move decisively from resource extraction to technological innovation.
Second, we must strengthen intra-African cooperation.
In this respect, the African Continental Free Trade Area offers us a powerful platform to develop regional value chains and reduce dependence on external actors.
Through the integration of mineral beneficiation, manufacturing and trade across borders, we can unlock economies of scale and secure Africa’s position in the global supply chain.
Third, we must advocate for equitable partnerships.
Financing, technology and skills must flow into Africa in ways that respect our sovereignty and serve our development priorities.
It is only through partnerships grounded in fairness and mutual benefit that Africa can transform its mineral wealth into lasting prosperity for its people.
And fourth, above all, we must anchor our diplomacy in the principles of justice.
The energy transition cannot be just for the world and unjust for Africa.
If the world depends on Africa’s minerals to achieve decarbonization, then fairness requires that Africa too reaps the rewards through industrial growth, green infrastructure and strengthened resilience for those most vulnerable to climate change.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This dialogue is not just about minerals.
It is about Africa’s future.
And it is about shaping a narrative where Africa is empowered, not exploited; where we are co-architects, and not bystanders, in the global green transition.
The Economic Commission for Africa is ever ready to work hand in hand with Member States, the African Union and all partners to translate today’s dialogue into concrete action.
We will provide the technical expertise, policy analysis and platforms for dialogue necessary to strengthen Africa’s negotiating voice and advance regional value chains.
Together, we can ensure that Africa’s minerals not only fuel the global transition but also power Africa’s own transformation.
I thank you.