A Digital Governance Framework for
Peace and Prosperity in the Just Transition:
BIODIVERSITY AND CRITICAL MINERALS
Cotonou – 10th October 2025
A discussion forum was held on October 10 (View the full meeting summary below) at the initiative of the Dunia Bora Foundation and the Africa Blockchain Institute, in partnership with BC100+, on digital governance in two key areas for peace and prosperity in Africa: biodiversity and critical minerals. The hybrid meeting considered perspectives about the role of globalization and digitalization to safeguard biodiversity and responsibly access critical minerals to support inclusive growth and a Just Transition.
Participants discussed how Africa is at the center of the three catalysts for the global economy: nature, data, and energy. With the world at an inflection point where new systems are forming around nature, technology, and finance, it is possible to create innovative solutions to change the rules of the game in favor of Africans and change scale in order to support a Just Transition and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Participants shared a perspective that the 7th Africa-Europe Summit in Luanda should include partnerships on digital corridors on its agenda.
From the presentation by the Digital Development Agency (ADN) of the Presidency of the Democratic Republic of Congo presentation and the think tank conversation emerged A “Digital Minerals Corridor Strategy For Critical Minerals And Electric Batteries” proposal as “digital tracking to improve traceability while generating commercial value” to “make digital a lever for integration, good governance, economic growth and social progress.”
To pursue such a strategy the 7th Africa-Europe Summit might wish to consider adopting:
- An International Forum On Critical Minerals And The Great Lakes Process contributing to the Global Digital Compact based in Africa. It would Secure follow up of agreements and protocols, attract public investments and generate an innovative governance scheme for peace and prosperity with the participation of Angola, Zambia and the DRC within the framework of the Lobito Corridor, the stakeholders of the strategic partnerships signed between States of the Great Lakes Region and the United States of America (USA) or the European Union (EU) and China as well as other Countries the DRC might wish to invite.
- An Africa-Europe Forum and Observatory on the Twinned Transition and Digital Corridors based in Brussels and working in partnership with the “International Forum On Critical Minerals And The Great Lakes Process” in Africa.
These proposals developed in the meeting summary attached would respond to the call of the European Parliament in its resolution Renewing the EU-Africa Partnership which “calls on all actors to increase transparency and to effectively ban the entry of all blood minerals into the EU; calls on the EU to promote responsible sourcing, transparency in supply chains and investment in value addition in the DRC and the Great Lakes region”.
The Dunia Bora Foundation and the Africa Blockchain Institute and experts (business, civil society) having participated in the Cotonou hybrid event are available for additional information.
We conclude by sharing a message the Cotonou meeting organizers received from Thérèse KAKULE KATUNGU, Présidente nationale du forum Congolais du bassin du Nil (FCBN) , Ville de BUTEMBO , Nord KIVU,RDC*:
“As a speaker on the issues of the Nile Basin and digitalization, I fully identify with the analyses and proposals made. These texts accurately reflect the realities on the ground, the persistent challenges related to the governance of natural resources and critical minerals, as well as the opportunities offered by digitalization to strengthen transparency and inclusion. We firmly believe that digitalization can become a strategic lever for peace and sustainable development in the region, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This advocacy deserves its place in future structuring projects, and I fully support the initiatives proposed within the framework of the Great Lakes Process 3.0. Thank you again for this mobilization and for the opportunity to contribute to this hopeful dynamic.”
Best regards,
Raymond Van Ermen
President, Dunia Bora Foundation – Europe
* Original Message in French: “En tant qu’intervenant sur les enjeux du Bassin du Nil et de la numérisation, je me reconnais pleinement dans les analyses et propositions formulées. Ces textes traduisent avec justesse les réalités du terrain, les défis persistants liés à la gouvernance des ressources naturelles et des minerais critiques, ainsi que les opportunités qu’offre la numérisation pour renforcer la transparence et l’inclusion. Nous croyons fermement que la numérisation peut devenir un levier stratégique pour la paix et le développement durable dans la région, en particulier en République Démocratique du Congo. Ce plaidoyer mérite toute sa place dans les projets structurants à venir, et je soutiens pleinement les initiatives proposées dans le cadre du Processus des Grands Lacs 3.0. Merci encore pour cette mobilisation et pour l’opportunité de contribuer à cette dynamique porteuse d’espoir.”