Partnership for Action on Challenges relating to E-waste

At the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention, the Parties decided to establish a new partnership as a follow up to Partnership for Action on Computing Equipment. Decision BC-14/19 Part I. 

Although PACE had contributed substantially to finding solutions, the challenges of achieving ESM of used and waste computing equipment are neither solved nor diminishing; on the contrary, they continue to grow.

According to statistics developed by the United Nations University, in 2019, the total volume of e-waste generated worldwide 53.6 million metric tonnes (Mt) and by 2030, it could reach74 million Mt. Current estimates show that, in 2019, only about 17% of the e-waste generated globally was collected properly, the rest was discarded or managed informally. The value of raw materials in the global e-waste generated in 2019 is equal to approximately ＄57 billion USD. 

For these reasons, the Parties recognized that there is an urgent need to bring action on the ground and to involve more industries, donors and other stakeholders in the implementation of concrete activities at the international, regional and local levels. An action oriented approach is the guiding principle of the programme of work of the new Partnership.