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Rwanda EPR Blueprint for Electronics Event - 7th and 8th November 2023, Kigali, Rwanda

​​    ​​​​               ​​​Background:
Rwanda is among the few countries on the continent that have a regulation governing the management of waste from electrical and electronic equipment (e-waste). This is in line with its quest to transition towards a circular economy as articulated in the recently approved National Circular Economy Action Plan and Roadmap. However, since its enactment in 2018, the e-waste regulatory framework has neither exhibited a financing mechanism e.g. through extended producer responsibility (EPR) nor any specific obligations for producers e.g. manufacturers, importers, distributors and resellers of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE); thus it has not been implemented or enforced.

Since 2022, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and, through the global Green GovStack initiative, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) have been providing technical assistance to the Government of Rwanda with the design and implementation of the EPR system for e-waste management, including identifying a digital service design and user journey for EPR producer r​egistration. Rwanda has made important milestones thus far culminating in the validation of the e-waste regulations, significant producer engagement, digital service design development for EPR registration and a well-researched baseline study on the potential EPR financing mechanism. A national e-waste strategy is also currently being prepared and the scope to include e-waste in a national waste information system is being considered. 

Objectives:​
The support from the Green GovStack initiative to the development of the EPR system blueprint for e-waste in Rwanda is coming to a close in the end of November 2023. This event will be organised in order to showcase the blueprint and to provide a platform for discussion around the required implementation steps going forward. The event will also be used as a platform to invite new partners to collaborate with and support the Government of Rwanda during the implementation phase of the EPR system for e-waste. It will bring together key national stakeholders with interested parties and potential partners from across the continent and beyond, with the option to attend in person or online. The objectives of the event will be threefold:
    1. ​Showcase the results o​f th​e Green GovStack initiative collaboration with the Government of Rwanda in          the preparation of the EPR system blueprint and its link to the Rwanda Circular Economy Roadmap. 
    2. Showcase where the EPR approach could be deployed in other countries across the continent and beyond, in particular in the context applying a digital service design and user journey for producer EPR registration with a whole-of-government approach to digital​izing this service. 
    3. To identify other areas of the e-waste management system and EPR model in Rwanda that could be made more efficient through digitalization, ​​​​​​whilst garnering interest from potential partners to collaborate in the implementation phase of the EPR system, envisaged to start in 2024, under the broader context of the Circular Economy Roadmap.
The event will be centred around the three components of the EPR use case:
    • ​The e-waste and EPR legal framework – this includes the revisions to the Regulation No 002 on Governing E-waste Management in Rwanda (2018) and the inputs to the new Regulation Governing Electrical and Electronic Products in Rwanda, and the defining of collection and recycling targets and the enforcement of the regulations.
    • The e-waste and EPR financing mechanism – this includes the study into the potential financing mechanisms and the EPR fee, and the set-up of a producer responsibility organisation.

    • ​The e-waste and EPR administrative arrangements – this includes the defining of roles and responsibilities, procedures and the identification of a digital service design and user journey for producer EPR registration.

      Venue: 
      Four Points by Sheraton, KN 3 Ave, Kigali, Rwanda.
                or
      Participate online via Zoom
      All participants and speakers must register: https://www.itu.int/net/CRM/js/sr/C-00013118
      For online participants, the Zoom link will be made available upon registration.

      ​Agenda
​​Day One: Tuesday 7th November 2023
 Rwanda EPR Blueprint for Electronics.
Master of Ceremonies: Mr. James Mulolo, (ITU) and Ms. Alice Higiro (MINICT)
​​TIME
​ACTIVITY
PRESE​NTER​
​08:00 – 09:00​
Registration of participants and audio/video testing​.​​All Participants (In-Person and Online)
​​​​OFFICIAL OPENI​NG REMARKS
​09:00 – 09:15
​Official opening by MINICT
​H.E. Ms. Paula Ingabire, MINICT in the Government of Rwanda
​​WELCOM​E REMARKS​
​09:15 – 09:30
​Delivery of welcome remarks by ITU
​Ms. Anne-Rachel Inné, ITU Regional Director for Africa
​09:30 – 09:45
​Delivery of welcome remarks by GIZ
​Mr. Norman Schräpel, Head of Cluster, Digital Transformation and Digital Economy, GIZ, Rwanda
​KEY NOTE​ ​
​09:45 – 10:00​
​Delivery of key note speech by RICA
​Ms. Beatrice Uwumukiza, Acting Director-General, RICA (TBC)​
​OVERVIEW OF GREEN GOVSTACK ​ ​
​10:00 – 10:30
​Presentation and discussion on the global GovStack initiative and its application to EPR in Rwanda.
​OL: Ms. Andrea Donath, Programme Lead, GovStack Initiative, GIZ
​EPR IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS FOR ELECTRONICS IN RWANDA​ ​
​10:30 – 11:00
​Presentation providing an overview of the entire evolution of the project collaboration with ITU and partners on the implementation of EPR for electronics in Rwanda
​Mr. Charles Gahungu, General Manager, ICT Regulation, RURA​
​11:00 – 11:30
Coffee Break and Group Photo (by Spruik)​
EU PROGRAMMING ON CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN THE REGION​ ​
​11:30 – 12:00​Presentation and discussion on the EU Programme SWITCH to Circular Economy in East and Southern Africa and plans in the region.
​Mr. Matthias Reusing, Delegation of the EU to Zambia and COMESA
​EPR FINANCING MECHANISM AND FEE STRUCTURE​ ​
​​12:00 – 12:45
​​High-level remarks from PSF on their role to-be as administering the Producer Responsibility Organisation.

Presentation and discussion on establishing a financing mechanism for the EPR system in ​Rwanda

​Mr. Callixte Kanamugire, Chief Advocacy Officer, Private Sector Federation, Rwanda
​Ms. Mariana Daykova, Manager, dss+.
​12:45 – 14:00
​Lunch Break​
EPR DIGITAL SERVICE DESIGN​​
14:00 – 14:30​Presentation and discussion on the 3-in-1 digital service design, which includes EPR registration, in Rwanda
​Mr. Gaston Uwayo, ICT Advisor, RICA
​14:30 – 15:00
​Presentation and discussion on the efforts to digitize the Rwanda society in particular to digitize government services
​Mr. Antoine Sebera, Government Chief Innovation Officer, RISA (TBC)
​15:00 – 15:15
​Coffee Break​
​IMPLEMENTING ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN RWANDA​

​​​15:15 – 16:30
​​
​


​​​​Moderated panel discussion with questions from the audience on exploring the roles and responsibilities based on the E​PR blueprint required to make its implementation a success. 
​Moderator: Mr. James Mulolo, E-waste Policy and EPR, ITU
​Mr. Callixte Kanamugire, Chief Advocacy Officer, Private Sector Federation, Rwanda
​Ms. Antoinette Mbabazi, Ag. Head of Department, Registration, Licensing and Enforcement, RICA
​Mr. Charles Gahungu, General Manager, ICT Regulation, RURA
​Mr. Yves Iradukunda, Permanent Secretary, MINICT
​​​CLOSING REMARKS​  ​
​16:30 – 16:45
​Delivery of closing remarks by RURA
​Mr. Charles Gahungu, General Manager, ICT Regulation, RURA
​
​​Day Two: Wednesday 8th ​November 2023
Rwanda's Circular Economy Roadmap and E-waste Initiatives.
Master of Ceremonies: Mr. James Mulolo (ITU) and Ms. Alice Higiro (MINICT) ​
​OPENING REMARKS
​08:30 – 09:15​Registration of participants and audio/video testing.
​All Participants (In-Person and Online)
​09:15 – 09:30​Delivery of opening remarks by UN Resident Coordinator.
​Mr. Ozonnia O​jielo, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Rwanda (TBC)
​OVERVIEW OF INTENDED RWANDA NATIONAL E-WASTE STRATEGY AND EPR LINKS​ ​
​09:30 – 10:15​Presentation, with high level overview of what is attended, and discussion, on developing the national e-waste strategy for Rwanda and its links to EPR.
​Mr. Richard Niyomugabo, Rwanda Information Society Authority
​10:15 – 10:45
​Coffee Break
​10:45 – 11:30
​Presentation, with high level overview of the waste information system, its digital requirements and the inclusion of e-waste in the system
​Mr. Fabrice Birasa, WASH MIS Specialist, 
Ministry of Infrastructure​

​​​CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN RWANDA AND THE REGION

​​​​11:30 – 12​:45 ​
​
​


​​Moderated panel discussion with questions from the audience on exploring the different activities taking place in Rwanda and in the region on the topic of circular economy
​ ​
​ ​		​Moderator: Mr. James Mulolo, E-waste Policy and EPR, ITU
​Ms. Elisa Luotonen, Expert in Circular Economy, African Development Bank Group
​OL: Dr. Mihaela Balan, Team Leader of EU Africa RISE
​Ms. Beatrice Cyiza, Director-General, Environment and Climate Change, Ministry of Environment, Rwanda
​Dr. Ally Simba, Executive Secretary, EACO
​​​NEXT STEPS AND CLOSING REMARKS
​12:45 – 13:00​
​Closing remarks preceded by a presentation on the next steps with e-waste management and the EPR system in Rwanda, with a focus on implementation and enforcement
​Mr. Bwana Evariste Rugigana, Director-General, RURA
​13:00 – 14:00​
​Lunch and Networking​​


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REGISTRATION

​All participants are requested to register via this link: Register here

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