Poland in the UN

On July 22, 2026, Poland participated in the UN Security Council briefing on natural resources governance. 

The full statement delivered by Krzysztof Szczerski, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Poland to the UN in New York, is available below:

Mr. President,

At the outset, I would like to thank the Democratic Republic of the Congo for organising this important debate on links between natural resources and peace and security.

Poland aligns itself with the statement delivered earlier by the European Union. Now, I would like to add the following remarks in my national capacity.

Mr. President,

Nowadays, critical raw materials are fundamental to energy transition as well as the development of modern technologies and defense systems. They are deemed critical because of their irreplaceability in both key technologies and supply chains. As it has been proved several times, we are highly vulnerable to these minerals’ abrupt scarcities.

That is precisely why Poland believes reducing strategic dependencies, diversifying supply routes as a tool for building resilience and promoting transparent markets are essential to mitigating the risk of critical minerals being leveraged as a tool of political pressure. By the same token, we should also reduce the risk of using critical raw materials supply routes to advance political objectives.

Mr. President,

Poland remains involved in strengthening economic resilience, particularly in response to potential disruptions in critical raw materials’ supply chains. With demand for critical raw materials skyrocketing all over the world due to the green and digital transitions, we underline the need – shared by all market participants – to adhere to strict corporate and social responsibility frameworks in extraction and production of raw materials.

To that end, we support international partnerships designed for addressing main challenges in this field: supply chain transparency, human rights, labour standards, and environmental stewardship.

Mr. President,

We cannot turn a blind eye to the obvious: distribution of natural resources and profiting from them remains one of the major causes of conflicts worldwide.  We note with growing concern the pressing problem of illicit exploitation and trafficking of natural resources, particularly during the military conflicts. Let me be clear: Poland condemns those building their wealth on intimidation, extortion, and the misery of others. In this context, we support international efforts to mitigate the negative impact of competition for natural resources on peace, security, and sustainable development, including Kimberley Process and UN Security Council sanctions regimes.

Still, the main responsibility rests within states, and the situation across our eastern border is a case in point. In the territories of Ukraine that are currently under the Russian occupation, the systematic plundering of minerals, coal, oil, gas, and other assets takes place on a daily basis. Such behaviour – although typical of Russia – is yet another example of this country’s neo-colonial ambitions in the region. It is also a stark reminder of the character of Moscow’s illegal war against Ukraine.

Mr. President,

Enhancing the resilience of critical mineral supply chains remains a key concern for many countries. And for a good reason. Let’s work together towards reducing strategic dependencies and vulnerabilities so that natural resources serve as a foundation for development, not bone of contention.