As part of the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) regional initiative on environment, climate change, and emergency communications, ITU and SCYCLE, in collaboration with the Global E-Waste Statistics Partnership, have launched a significant project. Dubbed the "Arab Region E-Waste Monitor," this initiative aims to build the capacity of government officials and statisticians in the region regarding e-waste statistics, while also improving data quality and accessibility.
This project involves 22 Arab League member countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The common thread is that Arabic is used as the official language in these countries.
The primary objective of the project is to make e-waste statistics comparable at the national and regional levels in the Arab Region. The "Regional E-Waste Monitor" report will not only collect data but also raise awareness by disseminating this data to policymakers, the business community, the media, and other stakeholders. This aims to raise awareness about e-waste management at both the political and societal levels. E-waste is one of the fastest-growing waste types today and poses a serious threat to sustainable development.
Accessing accurate data on e-waste is critical for monitoring developments over time, developing national and international policies, preventing illegal waste dumping, promoting recycling, and creating new jobs in the recycling sector. However, many countries still fail to collect internationally comparable e-waste statistics, and some lack sufficient capacity even at the national level.
Therefore, close collaboration with partners and stakeholders is essential in the project. Initial work began with a capacity-building workshop held in Tunisia in December 2019. The final outcome of the work will be the publication of the "Arab Region E-Waste Monitor" report. The project will contribute to solutions to both regional and global e-waste problems by promoting the sharing of knowledge and experience among countries.
