Amid the global surge in demand for transition minerals, which are critical for various energy technologies, policymakers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America face the challenge of making complex decisions far faster than traditional learning models can support. Governments must navigate choices around resource use for economic growth, value addition, industrial policy, infrastructure, fiscal terms, environmental protection, and community well-being. Conventional learning methods—such as study tours, one-off workshops, or generic technical guidance—have proven insufficient for these urgent, multifaceted decisions.
At a 2024 convening hosted by the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) at The Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center, government officials and experts from across the Global South highlighted the need for practical, real-time learning that directly addresses current policy challenges. This insight laid the foundation for the South–South Transition Minerals Learning Platform, launched in Bali, Indonesia, with support from The Rockefeller Foundation. The platform emerged from a four-day international dialogue on “Unlocking Equitable Mineral Value Addition,” co-hosted by the Indonesian government and NRGI, which brought together officials from ten Global South countries to share experiences and explore sustainable economic development through transition minerals.
The platform is designed around the principle that countries learn most effectively from each other when knowledge exchange is tied to immediate policy decisions. It moves beyond dialogue to co-production of knowledge, enabling countries to collaborate in real time to develop, test, and refine best practices that align with their own development priorities. During the inaugural meeting, participants identified priority challenges and shaped the initial learning agenda, focusing on issues such as assessing commercial and infrastructure requirements for mineral value addition and linking these efforts to national development strategies.
Indonesia’s experience was a central example during these exchanges. The country maintained its raw-material export bans despite external pressure, prioritizing national development objectives as part of a broader industrial strategy. This approach catalyzed downstream investment while highlighting the need for regulatory adjustments and institutional capacity to manage trade-offs. Moving forward, participants will sustain engagement through regional and thematic workshops, virtual exchanges, and targeted research collaborations, creating a continuous South–South learning ecosystem where countries share experiences, test new approaches, and ground policymaking in peer-driven evidence.
Septian Hario Seto, Executive Secretary for the National Economic Council of Indonesia, emphasized that Indonesia’s approach to downstream industrialization has always focused on making deliberate policy choices, learning from implementation, and adapting based on results. He noted that the platform allows countries to share not just successes but also the challenges and trade-offs involved in transforming mineral wealth into long-term economic value.
Looking ahead, the platform aims to deepen this community of practice over the coming year, generating evidence and peer-to-peer learning that policymakers need most. NRGI and The Rockefeller Foundation remain committed to supporting governments as they identify best practices to advance economic opportunities, safeguard communities and the environment, and ensure the energy transition delivers meaningful benefits across the Global South.
