Unlocking Equitable Mineral Value Addition

Key Takeaways

• Indonesia hosted first South‑South mineral value‑addition forum
• Ten mineral‑rich nations exchanged practical value‑capture strategies
• Emphasis on local processing to boost sustainable economic growth
• International agencies offered technical support for equitable value chains
• Outcome document outlines shared priorities for transition mineral policies

Pulse Analysis

The surge in demand for transition minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements has exposed a structural imbalance in many resource‑rich economies. While these countries export raw ores, the high‑value processing stages remain concentrated in a handful of industrialized nations, limiting job creation and fiscal returns. Policymakers are therefore under pressure to redesign value chains, encouraging local smelting, refining, and manufacturing. Achieving this shift not only supports climate‑friendly supply chains but also aligns with broader development goals of industrial diversification and poverty reduction.

Against this backdrop, the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) introduced its South‑South learning platform, a collaborative forum that connects governments facing similar mineral‑value challenges. The inaugural meeting, held in Jakarta in December 2025, brought together representatives from Chile, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Indonesia, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, the Philippines, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Participants presented case studies ranging from Indonesia’s downstream battery‑cell incentives to Ghana’s public‑private partnership for copper refining. International agencies contributed technical guidance on regulatory design, financing mechanisms, and workforce training, creating a repository of actionable best practices.

The platform’s outcome document crystallizes a set of shared priorities: strengthening domestic processing capacity, improving fiscal regimes, and fostering transparent, inclusive governance of mineral projects. For investors, these signals reduce political risk and open opportunities for downstream investments in emerging markets. For governments, the collective knowledge accelerates policy formulation, helping to capture a larger share of the $1.5 trillion projected transition‑minerals market by 2030. Continued South‑South dialogue will be essential to ensure that the benefits of the green transition are distributed equitably across the global supply chain.