Governing the environmental flow of E-waste: Partnerships in the framework of the Basel Convention.

In this paper, I focus on new governance structures (i.e. partnerships) that are being established to better govern the illegal trade in E-waste. To analyze the global governance of the international trade in E-waste, I use Manuel Castells? theory of flows and the network society, as well as the translation of this theory to the environmental social sciences as proposed by Arthur Mol and Gert Spaargaren. From this perspective, E-waste as a general environmental flow can be disaggregated or 'unbundled' in various distinct flows. In addition to the material flow of the waste itself, we can identify accompanying flows such as financial flows, risk flows, technology flows, etc. The Basel Convention is not able to prevent or adequately govern the illegal trade in E-waste. Therefore, new governance structures are being established in the form of partnerships between parties to the Convention, industry representatives and NGOs. Two such partnerships are being established in the framework of the Basel Convention: the Mobile Phone Partnership Initiative, which is working on guidelines on the environmentally sound management of used and end-of-life mobile phones, and the Global Computer Refurbishment and Recycling Partnership, which is still in its exploratory phase. In my paper I will briefly elaborate on the theoretical framework of my research, and then focus on the possible impact that these types of partnerships can have on the international trade in E-waste. Will such new policy instruments be better able to govern the material flows of E-waste? And what are the possible impacts on the other identified, non-material flows? ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]