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VERSION:2.0
PRODID:unctad.org
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6a4cac611f5db
DTSTART:20260505T140000Z
SEQUENCE:0
TRANSP:OPAQUE
DTEND:20260505T160000Z
LOCATION:Geneva and Johannesburg\, 
SUMMARY:The new resource frontier: Critical minerals and innovation for dev
 elopment (STI Forum 2026 - Side Event)
CLASS:PUBLIC
DESCRIPTION:STI Forum 2026 - Side Event - The New Resource Frontier: Critic
 al Minerals and Innovation for Developmentco-organisers: University of Joh
 annesburg\; UNCTAD5 May 2026\, 10:00 AM EDT / 3:00 PM BST/ 4:00 PM CEST/ 5
 :00 PM EATThe global transition toward low-carbon and digital technologies
  is generating an unprecedented surge in demand for critical minerals such
  as lithium\, cobalt\, nickel\, copper\, and platinum group metals. For ma
 ny mineral-rich developing countries\, particularly in Africa\, this momen
 t presents a strategic opportunity to leverage natural resource endowments
  for industrialisation\, technological upgrading\, and sustainable develop
 ment.This side event examines how Science\, Technology and Innovation (STI
 ) can play a transformative role in reshaping critical mineral value chain
 s. It shifts the focus beyond extraction toward building integrated\, sust
 ainable\, and inclusive value chains – including beneficiation\, process
 ing\, manufacturing\, skills development\, and innovation ecosystems.The d
 iscussion will engage with three interrelated questions:How can mineral-ri
 ch countries move beyond extraction toward value addition and capability b
 uilding?What forms of governance and policy coordination are required to e
 nsure that critical minerals contribute to inclusive and sustainable devel
 opment?How can global governance frameworks better align resource use with
  development priorities\, including through emerging debates on end-use\, 
 allocation\, and technological directionality?The session will draw on ong
 oing work by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development as secreta
 riat to the UN Task Force on Critical Energy Transition Minerals\, alongsi
 de perspectives from United Nations Technology Bank for the Least Develope
 d Countries\, academic experts\, and policy practitioners. Particular atte
 ntion will be given to the role of trade &amp\; industrial policy\, and in
 novation systems in enabling structural transformation.Panelists:Clovis Fr
 eire – Chief of Extractive Commodities Section\, United Nations Conferen
 ce on Trade and DevelopmentAnabel Marín – Research Fellow\, Institute o
 f Development Studies (IDS)\, UKDeodat Maharaj – Managing Director\, Uni
 ted Nations Technology Bank for the Least Developed CountriesErika Kraemer
 -Mbula – Professor of Economics\, University of Johannesburg\, Chair in 
 Transformative InnovationPolicy representative (TBC)&lt\;h4 class=&quot\;t
 ext-align-center\n\nView meeting on unctad.org\nhttps://unctad.org/meeting
 /new-resource-frontier-critical-minerals-and-innovation-development-sti-fo
 rum-2026-side
DTSTAMP:20260707T073601Z
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