“War and armed conflict shred the fabric of sustainable development,” Mr. Ban said in his message marking this year's International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict.

“There can be no peace if the resource base that people depend on for sustenance and income is damaged or destroyed – or if illegal exploitation finances or causes conflict,” he added.

Established by the General Assembly in 2001, the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict was created to spotlight the tenuous link between global and regional conflicts and the environment.

According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), at least 40 percent of all internal conflicts of the past 60 years have been linked to the exploitation of natural resources, whether high-value resources such as timber, diamonds, gold and oil, or scarce resources such as fertile land and water. Moreover, conflicts involving natural resources have also been found to be twice as likely to relapse into violence.

In his message, the Secretary-General remarked that since 1990, at least 18 violent conflicts had been fuelled by the exploitation of natural resources, while in other areas of the world the discoveries of mineral wealth were quickly transforming already beleaguered nations into potential hotspots.

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