Participation in the 2025 OECD Forum on Responsible Mineral Supply Chains

From calls for Interoperability of Standards for Effective, Inclusive, End-to-End Due Diligence to Colombia’s charge for a Global Treaty on Critical Minerals

Davie Malungisa represented SARW at the 2025 OECD Forum on Responsible Mineral Supply Chains, which took place in Paris from 5 to 7 May 2025. Throughout various sessions, participants emphasised that responsible sourcing cannot take shortcuts—sustainable supply chains must be anchored in long-term resilience and bolstered through inclusive international cooperation.

In the Face of a Multiplicity of ESG Standards, Interoperability of Standards Viewed as a Way Forward

One of the key sessions that Malungisa attended was on Interoperability for Effective, Inclusive, End-to-End Due Diligence: Promoting Coherence amid a Proliferation of Responsible Minerals Standards and Systems, hosted by the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) on 6 May 2025. This session examined the fragmented landscape of responsible minerals standards. Participants emphasised the growing complexity arising from increased initiatives addressing various human rights, environmental, and governance due diligence frameworks across multiple minerals and supply chain stages. To tackle this challenge, the session highlighted the importance of systems interoperability for adequate, inclusive end-to-end due diligence.

SARW launched its Africa Mining Accountability Platform (AMAP) on 2 February 2025. Malungisa leveraged the OECD Forum as a vital platform to connect and engage global stakeholders, such as the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), which conducts third-party assessments of industrial-scale mine sites, about AMAP and the urgent need for accountable and responsible mineral supply chains. The AMAP includes customised metrics aligned with the Global Reporting Initiative Mining Standard.

From the UN Secretary General Panel Recommendations to a Call for a Global Treaty on Critical Minerals

The session further explored alignment opportunities with the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, specifically focusing on its suggestion for a transparency platform to be piloted in “two or three” mineral-producing nations. Colombia’s initiative for a Global Treaty on Critical Minerals was noted as a bold and promising measure. The country aims to finalise this treaty at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, which is scheduled for November 2025.

In keeping up with issues raised at the OECD forum, SARW is actively monitoring and participating in global initiatives, particularly through the Pamoja Critical Minerals Alliance, emphasising the importance of responsible mining and supply chain accountability in its advocacy. The aim of a Global Treaty corresponds with SARW’s goal for binding international frameworks that foster fairness, transparency, and sustainability in extracting critical minerals, particularly in the Global South.

SARW will continue to engage strategically in international platforms through various events, including COP30 and beyond.