A new article in The National Interest by NED President Damon Wilson highlights how CIPE is playing a critical role in strengthening America’s critical mineral supply chains through democratic governance and local oversight.
The article underscores a fundamental truth: supply chain agreements are only as strong as the institutions responsible for enforcing them. This is where CIPE’s work proves indispensable.
As a core institute of NED, CIPE supports local civic leaders, journalists, think tanks, and community organizations who monitor mining contracts, expose corruption, and improve transparency in critical mineral sectors. By embedding oversight locally, these efforts reduce risk for U.S. companies and decrease the need for top-down enforcement.
The results are tangible. In Bolivia, for example, civic groups exposed nearly $2 billion in opaque contracts that would have handed lithium reserves to Russia- and China-linked companies.
As Wilson argues, supporting democracy abroad is a practical, low-cost strategy to reinforce supply chain security for American interests.
Published Date: February 05, 2026