The first "e-Waste Management Forum: Circulating Success" was held from 9-10 February, 2009 in Cairo under the auspices of Minister of Communications and Information Technology Dr. Tarek Kamel.
The forum was jointly organized by the Center for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
The meeting aimed at bringing together all stakeholders in the field of management of electronic waste (e-waste) to discuss means of safe and efficient disposition of end-of-life ICT products such as computers, phones and other electronic devices.
Key challenges in this sector are the downside of two decades of boom in ICT use in the Arab region and the world beyond.
The forum was concluded with the launch of a multi-stakeholder partnership on e-Waste (MSPEW).
The MSPEW first priorities are capacity building, in particular for youth, and developing a proper business model for private sector companies working in the collection, refurbishing and recycling ICT products. The ITU offered its collaboration and guidance on the final definition of the terms of reference for the partnership.
The forum further called for innovative and competitive solutions for waste disposition.
In pursuit of this goal, success stories were presented during the event, showcasing how e-waste helps achieve considerable breakthroughs in generating business opportunities, conserving natural resources, adding value and creating jobs along the supply chain and abating the effects of health and environmental hazards.
The serious health and environmental threats from e-waste pose considerable challenges to the economy in terms of management and disposal. Components of e-waste contain lead, cadmium and other toxic substances. In addition, metal recovery from e-waste is a key component in the sustainable management of natural resources.
