SANTIAGO, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Latin America needs to better manage its nonrenewable natural resources, the Santiago-based Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) warned on Tuesday.

The United Nations agency hosted a seminar that gathered regional experts to unify "best practices" to promote sustainable mining.

"How we are going to use these resources in society requires a certain scope of discussion. What are we going to do with these assets? At what rate do we use those resources? This should be part of the discussion," Joseluis Samaniego, ECLAC's director of sustainable development and human settlements, said at the opening of the seminar.

Jeannette Sanchez, director of natural resources and infrastructure at ECLAC, noted that the export of nonrenewable natural resources accounts for about half, if not more, of total exports for Andean countries.

"It is by no means an inconsequential source of income for our economies. We cannot ignore the importance of mining," Sanchez said.

However, what is needed is proper oversight of the industry, according to Samaniego.

"Governance of the environmental and social impacts" of mining "must be taken into consideration during the entire mining cycle, from the start to the site closure," Samaniego said.

ECLAC hopes to spur the exchange of best practices in the field so countries can meet UN-designated sustainable development targets by 2030.

Public- and private-sector experts from Colombia, Chile, Peru and other countries attended the seminar.