Geneva, Switzerland, 11 May 2015

Contact: Cristina Bueti, ITU (cristina.bueti@itu.int); Kees Baldé, UNU

Introduction
A joint UNU-ITU- UNIDO-WIPO-ECLAC-Basel Convention Side Event on “1st Global E-waste Monitor and the Specific Situation in Latin America” was held on 11 May 2015, in Geneva, Switzerland during the Meetings of the conferences of the parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions (BC COP-12, RC COP-7, SC COP-7). These events were kindly hosted by the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Convention. 

Objectives
“The amount of global e-waste — discarded electrical and electronic equipment — reached 41.8 million tonnes in 2014", according to a new United Nations University report.  The side event aimed at presenting the Global E-waste Monitor 2014: Quantities, Flows and Resources which provides an unprecedented level of detail and accuracy about the size of the world’s e-waste challenge, ongoing progress in establishing specialized e-waste collection and treatment systems, and the outlook for the future.

The side event also presented a joint report on E-waste management in Latin America that has been developed by ITU- ECLAC-UNIDO- UNESCO-WHO- Basel Convention Regional Center for Latin America-WIPO. 

It provided a platform to discuss major challenges and strategies associated with the management of e-waste as well as the implementation of international standards in Latin America. It also explored the potential of regional solutions and the role of public-private partnerships.

Target Audience
This side event brought together leading specialists in the field, from original equipment manufacturers (OEM), recycling companies, producer responsibility organizations (PRO), to government authorities, academia, policy-makers, regulators, standards experts and others.