(March 21, 2012) A new agreement signed by the United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Secretariat of the Basel Convention (SBC) was announced on 12 March 2012. (Press release, ITU, UN Systems collaborate on e-waste disposal (12 March 2012).) It is designed to reduce the negative environmental impact of electronic waste through the proper collection and recycling of hazardous substances contained in this waste. Toxic components are considered a risk to human health and the environment in general. The new deal calls on ITU and SBC to work together by sharing information and working together to set standards and raise awareness of how e-waste should be managed. (The new UN Convention aims to protect the environment from hazardous electronic waste, UNITED NATIONS INFORMATION CENTRE (Mar. 13, 2012).) Training workshops to improve the capacity of Parties to manage e-waste in an environmentally sound manner In 2010, the EPA provided funding to the United Nations University (UNU) for the assessment of e-waste in Ethiopia. The evaluation was carried out by the German Oeko-Institut. Based on the results, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) has invested $1 million in a project to strengthen Ethiopia`s e-waste disposal capacity. This was the GEF`s first investment in the issue of e-waste. The EPA and GEF projects build on an earlier World Bank-funded initiative to improve Ethiopia`s information and communication technologies (ICTs). March 2019: The EPA participated in the launch of the UNIDO-GEF project “Strengthening national initiatives and improving regional cooperation or environmentally sound management of POPs in e-waste (WEEE)”.
With the support of the EPA, Step has developed a tool that will improve the capacity of participating countries to assess the amount of e-waste generated, imported and exported. must be treated according to its entire life cycle, including when the equipment reaches its end and becomes electronic waste. . Cooperation between the ITU and SBC will further our common objectives of supporting sustainable development, which essentially includes environmentally sound waste management. (Id.) significant progress in improvement. Environmental performance and reduction of electronic waste through improved best practices and standards. . Working with the Secretariat of the Basel Convention will enable the global community to address this ever-growing problem through a holistic approach that involves both the recycling industry and environmental policymakers. (Id.) Electrical and electronic equipment that becomes waste (electronic waste), such as PCs, printers, televisions, mobile phones, refrigerators and air conditioners, is now one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world. As part of these multi-year efforts, the EPA, UNU-Solving the E-waste Problem (StEP) and GEF assessed the state of e-waste in Ethiopia, reviewed national and international downstream markets for selected e-waste components and identified financing models for the sustainable disposal of e-waste in Ethiopia. The project also strengthened the capacity of a defabrication plant for e-waste treatment in Addis Ababa.
You can read more about epa`s work in the field of e-waste and e-waste management at the following links: The EPA is also working with the release of the Solving the E-waste Problem Initiative (Step) to jointly solve the problem of e-waste in developing countries. Step, formerly known as UNU-Step, was previously an initiative of the United Nations University (UNU). The EPO and UNU first signed a cooperation agreement on e-waste in November 2010 and then again in 2015. UNU-Step`s work included monitoring global e-waste flows, the Person-in-the-Port project in Nigeria, the optimization of an e-waste dismantling plant in Ethiopia and the development of a tool to collect information on the national quantities of e-waste generated and exported to other countries. The EPA is a founding member of the Step Initiative and a member of the Step Supervisory Committee. The International E-Waste Management Network (IEMN) is a network of government officials who meet annually to share best practices and learn from experts how to improve the management of used electronic devices in their own countries. The U.S. EPA and Taiwan`s Environmental Protection Administration (EPAT) are supporting these efforts through a cooperation agreement. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) was the Managing Director of the GEF project, with the UnU-StEP initiative team acting as a technical expert.
As part of this work, the EPA acted as an international advisor to an Ethiopian working group on e-waste disposal. The project was completed at the end of 2016. Since 2002, the Basel Convention has addressed issues related to electronic waste, including environmentally sound management; the prevention of illicit trade in developing countries; and; Build capacity around the world to better manage e-waste. The Mobile Partnership Initiative (MPPI) was adopted by the sixth session of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention. A few days after the announcement of the cooperation agreement, CBS and the United Nations Environment Programme helped organize a meeting on electrical and electronic waste in Nairobi, Kenya. .
