Evion Welcomes Madagascar’s UN Critical Minerals Development Support
Key Takeaways
- Madagascar is one of only six founding countries in the UN's Country Support Mechanism on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, alongside Guinea, Indonesia, Nigeria, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
- Evion is not a party to or recipient of the Mechanism, so the benefit to Maniry is the company's own belief about a more supportive investment environment, not a guaranteed outcome.
- Maniry has Mining Permits granted in July 2026 and is the only graphite project outside Europe with EU Strategic Project status under the Critical Raw Materials Act.
- A binding terms sheet with an established German graphite purchaser, signed 25 August 2026, gives Evion its first binding offtake commitment.
- No funding amounts or Final Investment Decision timing were disclosed, and the planned UN meeting in Madagascar has no date.
Madagascar named founding country in UN critical minerals mechanism
Evion Group (ASX: EVG) has responded to a United Nations move that puts Madagascar, home to its Maniry Graphite Project, on a short list of countries receiving dedicated support for critical minerals development. The UN Secretary-General launched the Country Support Mechanism on Critical Energy Transition Minerals in New York on 23 September 2026, and Evion issued its response on 7 October 2026.
Madagascar is one of six founding countries selected, alongside Guinea, Indonesia, Nigeria, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Evion believes the selection is constructive for the governance and investment framework within which Maniry is being advanced toward development and financing.
One point matters for how you read this. Evion is not a party to, or a recipient of support under, the Mechanism. The selected participant is the country of Madagascar, and the company’s positive view is its own belief.
Key highlights from the announcement:
- Maniry is permitted, following the grant of Mining Permits in July 2026
- Maniry holds European Union Strategic Project status
- Evion has executed its first binding offtake commitment for the project
- Evion is arranging a meeting with UN representatives in Madagascar
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What the Country Support Mechanism delivers
Mechanism explained
The Mechanism is designed to assist resource-rich developing countries to build sustainable, responsible and resilient mineral value chains. A value chain is the full sequence of steps from digging a mineral out of the ground to turning it into a usable product. The aim is that the benefits of critical mineral development reach the countries and communities where those minerals are found.
It is led by the United Nations Development Programme (“UNDP”) and the United Nations Development Coordination Office. It consolidates expertise from across the UN system into a single offer, working through the UN’s country presence to identify each country’s needs and respond with tailored assistance.
The four priority areas are:
- Governance
- Value addition
- Industrial development
- Environmental and human safeguards
The Mechanism forms part of the work of the United Nations Task Force on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, co-led by UNDP, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the United Nations Environment Programme.
Why might this matter to a project developer? Evion considers coordinated UN support for mineral governance in Madagascar to be constructive for the broader investment environment in which it engages with financiers. That is the company’s view, not a guaranteed outcome, and Evion makes no representation as to whether, when or in what form any support may be provided to the Government of Madagascar.
Why Madagascar matters
The six founding countries were selected to represent diverse mineral profiles and development contexts. Madagascar has a long history as a source of natural flake graphite, a critical input for lithium-ion battery anodes and a range of industrial applications.
How does Maniry line up with the Mechanism’s priorities?
Evion holds the Maniry Graphite Project in southern Madagascar. The table below sets out the milestones the company points to.
| Maniry milestone | Detail | Date/Source |
|---|---|---|
| Mining Permits granted | Granted following the signing of the formal CSR Mining Contracts, securing long-term tenure | **July 2026** (ASX announcement 21 July 2026) |
| EU Strategic Project status | Only graphite project outside Europe recognised by the European Union as a Strategic Project under its Critical Raw Materials Act | ASX announcement **5 June 2025** |
| First binding offtake | Binding terms sheet with an established German graphite purchaser for the supply of natural flake graphite concentrate | **25 August 2026** |
Evion says the Mechanism’s priorities of governance, value addition, local benefit and environmental safeguards align closely with the basis on which Maniry is being advanced. Maniry is designed to mine and process graphite ore into concentrate within Madagascar, which speaks directly to the value-addition and local-benefit themes.
Evion also believes a permitted project with EU Strategic Project status positions it as a credible partner for the Government of Madagascar and its international partners as the Mechanism is implemented. The company is engaging with European and international financiers, including the European Investment Bank, on the development of Maniry.
David Round, Managing Director
“Maniry is permitted, recognised by the European Union as a Strategic Project and has its first binding offtake commitment in place…”
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Next steps for Evion and Maniry
The announcement lists three next steps:
- A meeting with UN representatives in Madagascar regarding the Mechanism and Maniry, which is being arranged (no date has been disclosed)
- Continuing engagement with the Government of Madagascar on the development of Maniry
- Advancing the remaining workstreams required to reach a Final Investment Decision for Maniry, including financing, strategic partnerships and offtake
No funding amounts or Final Investment Decision timing were disclosed. For investors, that means the project’s path from permitting to development still depends on workstreams that remain open.
Beyond Maniry, Evion holds an option over the Carp Fluorspar Project in Nevada and a 50:50 interest in Panthera Graphite Technologies in India.
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