The United Nations Environment Assembly, 

Recognizing that sustainable management of mineral and metal resources contributes significantly to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, 

Recalling its resolutions 4/19 of 15 March 2019 on mineral resource governance and 5/12 of 2 March 2022 on environmental aspects of minerals and metals management, and taking note of the report of the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme on progress in the implementation of resolution 5/12 on environmental aspects of minerals and metals management,1 as well as the report of the Executive Director on effective, inclusive and sustainable multilateral actions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution,2 

Emphasizing that the minerals and metals considered under the present resolution exclude mineral fuels and that the scope of the resolution covers the full life cycle, including extraction, on-site and off-site processing, refining, management of mining waste and tailings, rehabilitation of sites and closed or abandoned mines, manufacturing and recycling, 

Stressing the need for enhanced action to support the environmentally sustainable management of minerals and metals, 

Underlining the specific environmental challenges related to artisanal and small-scale mining and their related health risks, 

Reaffirming the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development3 and all its principles, 

Noting General Assembly resolution 76/300 of 28 July 2022 on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, 

Building on the outcomes of the intergovernmental consultations conducted pursuant to the implementation of Environment Assembly resolution 5/12, 

1. Encourages Member States, and invites relevant stakeholders along the full life cycle of minerals and metals, from both the public and private sectors, to align the management of minerals and metals with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development4 and with their relevant obligations and decisions under multilateral environmental agreements, as appropriate, as well as to promote sustainable consumption and production; 

2. Requests the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, subject to the availability of resources, in cooperation with Member States, including national focal points appointed pursuant to United Nations Environment Assembly resolution 5/12, stakeholders and experts, while ensuring equitable regional balance, building on existing work and avoiding duplication, to: 

(a) Establish a digital knowledge hub to compile, among other things, information on existing good practices relevant to the environmental aspects of minerals and metals and to share, as appropriate, that information with all Member States and stakeholders; 

(b) Develop capacity-building opportunities relating to environmental aspects of minerals and metals with experts on the subject from each region, including but not limited to online training; 

(c) Support enhanced cooperation among Member States to strengthen the policy, technological, technical and scientific elements of the management of environmental aspects of minerals and metals; 

3. Invites the Executive Director, within the scope of available resources, to strengthen the cooperation between the United Nations Environment Programme and relevant international and regional organizations and forums, and with relevant stakeholders, on environmental aspects of minerals and metals; 

4. Requests the Executive Director to report to the Environment Assembly at its seventh session on the progress achieved in the implementation of the present resolution.