E/2025/43 E/C.19/2025/8 Critical minerals 83. Existing mining standards and initiatives must never substitute for legal obligations that ensure social and environmental safeguards. Extractive industries should be required to restore mining sites. 84. States should align legal frameworks with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the Indigenous Peoples Principles and Protocols for Just Transition 2 and the recommendations of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals regarding extractive activities, environmental protection, human rights and Indigenous Peoples’ collective and individual rights. 85. States, mining companies and financial institutions must uphold the right of Indigenous Peoples to free, prior and informed consent, including the option to reject proposed projects that would affect their lands and territories. The representation and participation of Indigenous Peoples must be gender-balanced; and their selfdetermination and self-governance structures must be respected. Special protection must be afforded to Indigenous Peoples in voluntary isolation and initial contact, in accordance with the Declaration and existing human rights standards, including respect for precautionary and no-contact principles. 86. States, mining companies and financial institutions should ensure the establishment of accessible, independent and culturally appropriate grievance and redress mechanisms for Indigenous Peoples that should be available throughout the life cycle of the projects. These sectors should support sustainable development, track the origin and impacts of minerals throughout the supply chain and disclose human rights risks and environmental impacts. 87. States are urged to take necessary measures where appropriate to ensure the rights, protection and safety of Indigenous leaders and human rights defenders and to promote a safe and enabling environment in which human rights violations, killings, reprisals and abuses against or related to them are prevented and investigated, the perpetrators are held accountable and access to justice and remedy are ensured, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 79/159. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and States should ensure the meaningful inclusion of Indigenous Peoples when developing strategies to prevent and combat environmental and other crimes. This includes supporting capacity-building for the documentation and reporting of alleged crimes, Indigenous-led monitoring, and accountability and reparations for environmental harm on Indigenous lands and territories. Indigenous Peoples are encouraged to participate in and contribute to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. 88. States should establish a buffer zone around Indigenous Peoples’ lands and territories to protect their rights and resources from the impacts of extractive activities, including those involving critical minerals. This will protect the lives and ecosystems of Indigenous Peoples and is vital for biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. 89. States must immediately halt mining projects in Argentina, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Russian Federation and Sweden and other projects violating the right of Indigenous Peoples to free, prior and informed consent. Furthermore, States should align their legislation with the Declaration, ensuring that companies are liable for human rights violations committed overseas. __________________ 2 16/23 Available at www.indigenoussummit.org/summit-outcome. 25-07572