Who will benefit from the global race for critical minerals? And can resource-rich countries use today's geopolitical shifts to achieve a more just and sustainable model of development?

In the third episode of the Vienna Global Forum podcast series, hosts Anamaria Copilau and Werner Raza are joined by José Miguel Ahumada, political economist at the University of Chile and former Vice Minister for Trade of Chile, to explore what the New International Economic Order (NIEO) can teach us about the politics of natural resources in the 21st century.

As demand for lithium, rare earths, and other critical minerals continues to grow, countries in the Global South face a historic opportunity - but also familiar challenges. Can they move beyond exporting raw materials? How can resource wealth support industrialization, technological upgrading, and long-term development? And what role should the state play in managing strategic resources?

The conversation revisits the NIEO's vision of resource sovereignty and examines its relevance for today's global economy. It explores how commodity dependence, financialized markets, multinational corporations, and geopolitical competition continue to shape development prospects across Latin America and beyond.

Among the questions discussed in this episode:

🔹What lessons does the NIEO offer for today's critical minerals boom?
🔹Can countries leverage lithium and other strategic resources to negotiate fairer terms in the global economy?
🔹Why do industrial policy and technology transfer remain central to development?
🔹What role should the state play alongside multinational corporations?
🔹Can regional cooperation strengthen the bargaining power of resource-rich countries?
🔹How can economic development, environmental protection, and the rights of local communities be reconciled?
🔹What do China's investment strategies reveal about the changing landscape of global development?

Guest: José Miguel Ahumada (University of Chile; former Vice Minister for Trade of Chile)

📍Episode 3 of the Vienna Global Forum podcast series: Lessons from the New International Economic Order

📌 Learn more about the Vienna Global Forum: www.viennaglobalforum.org