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UNEA-7. Credit: IRMAUNEA-7. Credit: IRMABlog

IRMA at UNEA-7

13 February 2026By

In November 2025, IRMA was accredited to participate in the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA). Observer status grants IRMA access to UNEA and its subsidiary bodies, enabling IRMA to participate in environmental decision-making at the highest level.

While IRMA has engaged in prior UNEA sessions virtually, the seventh session of UNEA (UNEA-7), held from 8 to 12 December 2025 at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters in Nairobi, was IRMA’s first opportunity to participate in person as an accredited Observer.

Represented by IRMA’s Law & Policy Director, Kristi Disney Bruckner, IRMA participated in multiple UNEA-7 plenary sessions, leadership dialogues, and side events, as well as the Launch of the UN Task Force on Critical Energy Transition Minerals and negotiations on the Resolution on strengthening international cooperation on the environmentally sound management of minerals and metals.

Representatives from Colombia and Oman provided a briefing on the draft resolution on minerals and metals for IRMA Members just prior to UNEA-7, providing a virtual opportunity for questions and input on the draft. The final resolution supports continuation of implementation efforts of prior minerals and metals-related UNEA resolutions and convenes dialogues among Member States, focal points, and relevant stakeholders and partners. The dialogues, which must have equitable participation among regions and of developing countries, will discuss:

  • Enhancing international cooperation on the sustainable management of minerals and metals
  • Resource recovery from mining waste and tailings through sustainable approaches, such as circularity
  • Best practices for the environmentally sound management of minerals and metals
  • Enhancing cooperation to strengthen technological, technical, financial and scientific capabilities related to management of environmental aspects of minerals and metals, in particular in developing countries

The resolution also requests a report to the 8th session of UNEA (UNEA-8) on progress achieved in implementation of this and prior resolutions on mining and metals.

IRMA contributes to implementation of the resolution by sharing best practices from IRMA Standards with governments, stakeholders and rights holders; participating in collaborations around mining waste and tailings management and opportunities to advance circularity; and helping strengthen capabilities across sectors regarding responsible management of mineral value chains. In collaboration with UNEP, IRMA will also contribute to work under prior UNEA resolutions, such as developing content to be disseminated through UNEP’s Digital Knowledge Hub on the Environmental Aspects of Minerals and Metals, created under the mandate of the 2024 Resolution 6/5 on Environmental Aspects of Minerals and Metals.

IRMA will continue to track developments under UNEA and related implementation efforts, bringing updates and opportunities for input to the attention of IRMA Members. UNEA-8 will be held from 6-10 December 2027 in Nairobi.

About UNEA
UNEA is the world’s highest-level decision-making body for matters related to the environment, with a universal membership of all 193 Member States. UNEA sets the global environmental agenda, provides overarching policy guidance, and defines policy responses to address emerging environmental challenges. It also undertakes policy review, dialogue, and the exchange of experiences, sets the strategic guidance on the future direction of UNEP, and fosters partnerships for achieving environmental goals and resource mobilization.

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UNEP and IRMA announce collaboration to advance responsible mining practices

11 February 2026By

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) have announced a collaboration on the environmental dimensions of responsible mining, focusing on the improvement of transparency and environmental performance in the mining sector.

As digital transformation and decarbonization efforts drive an unprecedented demand for minerals and metals, the extractive sector is under increasing pressure to minimize environmental impacts, such as deforestation, land degradation and pollution, while strengthening transparency,  environmental and social performance as well as  traceability.

This partnership brings together UNEP’s mandate as the leading global environmental authority with IRMA’s experience in promoting responsible mining and the sustainable use of minerals. IRMA’s comprehensive, multi-stakeholder system transparently assesses the performance of industrial-scale mine sites against a voluntary best practice mining standard.

Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the two organisations agreed to a strategic partnership focused on the exchange of expertise on responsible mining topics, including voluntary sustainability standards, multi-stakeholder governance models and the verification of standards claims.

The partnership will also foster dialogue among stakeholders and contribute to the identification of best practices and gaps in the sector. Research and data will be disseminated through platforms such as UNEP’s Digital Knowledge Hub on the Environmental Aspects of Minerals and Metals.

The partnership aims to contribute to the implementation of the guiding principles and actionable recommendations of the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals.

It will also advance the work of the UN Task Force on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, launched on 10 December 2025 during the seventh session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) to coordinate UN activities across all principles and actionable recommendations. The Task Force is chaired by UNEP, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

“As the demand for critical minerals grows, it is imperative that extraction processes do not come at the cost of environmental or community well-being,” said Sheila Aggarwal-Khan, Director of the Industry and Economy Division at UNEP. “Partnering with IRMA allows us to strengthen and promote best practices in responsible mining, as well as assurance and verification. We look forward to working together to strengthen the knowledge base and governance frameworks necessary for a responsible mining sector.”

“IRMA provides an independent measure of social and environmental performance at the mine site that is credible across all mining-affected stakeholder and rightsholder sectors,” said Kristi Disney Bruckner, Policy Director of IRMA. “By connecting IRMA’s system with UNEP’s global mandate, we help support the implementation of the UNSG Panel’s recommendations and increase the likelihood that the materials required for the energy transition are sourced in a way that better protects both people and the planet.”

This MOU is non-exclusive and establishes a framework for cooperation and dialogue between the two organizations. It serves as a structural foundation for activities and projects that may be defined in separate agreements.

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

UNEP is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.

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