The EMG Inter-agency Group on Tackling E-waste brought together UN entities to strengthen coordination and coherence in addressing the growing global challenge of electronic waste.
In 2017, the Group published the UN System-wide Response to Tackling E-waste, which mapped more than 150 UN initiatives undertaken since 2004 and identified over 20 UN organizations active in the field. The report called for stronger collaboration across the UN system and a more coherent life-cycle approach to e-waste management.
The process helped pave the way for the establishment of the E-waste Coalition. In March 2018, seven UN organizations signed a Letter of Intent committing to increased collaboration and coordinated support to Member States, with three additional organizations joining in 2019. The Coalition focused on advocacy, knowledge and best-practice sharing, and joint approaches to country-level action.
The collaboration also contributed to broader work on a circular economy for electronics, including the 2019 report A New Circular Vision for Electronics – Time for a Global Reboot, developed with the World Economic Forum and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.