The multifaceted requirements of sustainable development depend primarily on the optimal and responsible use of natural resources. A new paradigm of natural resource production and use, including progressing towards a circular economy, is required to realise the need for the balanced development of natural resources. The United Nations Resource Management System (UNRMS) is a comprehensive, sustainable natural resource management framework that supports the attainment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

UNRMS is based on the globally accepted United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC), which has incorporated a unique methodology of assessing resources through the triple lenses of environmental-social-economic viability, technical feasibility and confidence in estimates. UNRMS is a voluntary global standard for sustainable integrated resource management within the framework of public, public-private and civil society partnerships.