PRESS RELEASE; Ghana to host Europe’s largest conference on digital and social topics

11 December, 2018 – Accra

Ghana will host Europe’s largest conference on digital and social topics under the
theme: “Next Level” from 14-15 December 2018 at the Round Pavilion, Trade Fair, Accra.

The conference which is taking place for the first time on the African continent will bring together
about 1000 national and international participants to deliberate on issues relating to digital
activism, health, journalism, art, business, data, access, future technologies, and women in
technology. There will be dedicated spaces to explore topics around health innovation, content
creation, maker technologies and digital rights issues
With over 100 sessions and speakers from about 22 African countries including over 80 from
Ghana, the conference is expected to help shape and promote discourse on digitalization and
social transformation.
The Environmentally Sound Disposal and Recycling of E-Waste (E-Waste Programme) is being
implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in
partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI). Its
objective is to improve the conditions for sustainable management and disposal of electronic
waste in Ghana. In scope of this Mr. Oliver Boachie, who is Special Advisor to the Hon. Prof.
Frimpong Boateng, will host a panel discussion on the topic: “Agbogloghie – Discovering Value
of E-waste through Innovation”. During this session, a diverse group of stakeholders with years
of experience in Agbogbloshie and backgrounds such as Innovation, Urban Mining and
Anthropology will discuss e-waste as a resource, focusing on the future scenarios that promote
digital solutions with social added value and the role of the Old Fadama scrap yard as a place of
resource-mining.
The panelist will give valuable impulses about how we can turn the challenges related to
recycling activities in the informal sector into potentials for social development and innovation.
Furthermore, several e-waste related contributions will be presented by other partners of the E-
Waste Programme. The sessions by partners of the E-Waste Programme will include an entire
bar & lounge created from e-waste, as well as an e-waste collection container that will operate
throughout the entire event and. An e-waste installation showcasing the diverse processes and
people on the Agbogbloshie scrap yard is also being presented directly as a contribution of the
E-Waste Programme.
Speaking about the conference, Dr. Gerd Müller, German Federal Minister for Economic
Cooperation and Development (BMZ) said, “We don’t want to talk about Africa, but have a
dialogue with Africa. That’s why representatives from the digital community in Western Africa
and Germany will come together at the re:publica Accra – to discuss and network with each
other, and most of all, to learn from each other – in both directions! Digitalization enables big
steps in development; progress we couldn’t have imagined a few years ago. We have to bridge
the digital gap between rich and poor and between the continents. Bringing the re:publica to
Africa marks an important step in this direction.“

Andreas Gebhard, co-founder and CEO of re:publica GmbH says, “the re:publica is an event for
digital society. It’s global and thus international! But I say that without wishing to ignore regional
differences. How can we work together to shape and design the digital society when regional
differences create very different framework conditions for it? Whether in Berlin, Los Angeles or
Accra, re:publica creates space for dialogue and exchange between equals. I’m very pleased
that we can now create these spaces on three continents”.
Read more at: https://accra18.re-publica.com/en.

Background
This event is being organized by re:publica GmbH, Impact Hub Accra and the German
Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) with local partners
led by the Ghanaian Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.

About re:publica:
re:publica is Europe’s biggest conference on internet and digital society. Here, bloggers cross
paths with politicians, scientists meet entrepreneurs, artists meet activists. More than 19,500
people from 80 countries came together at re:publica 18 over the course of the three-day
conference in Berlin to discuss current questions about digital society. The next edition of
re:publica will take place from May 6-8, 2019, in Berlin. In addition, at the end of the year
re:publica will be launched for the first time on African soil in Accra, the capital of Ghana. As a
strategic partner of the “Deutschlandjahr USA” it will put on five events in the United States. The
shareholders of re:publica GmbH, newthinking communications and Spreeblick Verlag have
been actively engaged in the areas of network politics, digital culture and digital society for over
a decade. Read more at: www.re-publica.com.

About BMZ:
The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is responsible
for the development cooperation policy of the German Federal Republic. In the field of
digitalisation, the ministry supports around 480 projects with digital components in over 90
countries. Since 2015, the BMZ has been investing around EUR 150 million in digital change in
Africa through the “Digital Africa” initiative. The aim is to implement the Agenda 2030 for
sustainable development faster, better and more cost-effectively. BMZ is currently pursuing the
following priorities in the field of digitalisation: promotion of the digital sector in partner countries;
cooperation with the digital economy; development of African digital centers; use of digital
innovations for sustainable development; digital inclusion of women and girls. The BMZ is the
main partner of re:publica Accra and particularly supports the participation of more than 160
African speakers and participants from Pan-African networks. Read more at: www.bmz.de/ict.

About the E-Waste Programme:
In recent times, growing prosperity in Ghana has enhanced technological advancement and
helped bridge the digital gap with developed countries. In addition to changing consumption

patterns, population growth has also contributed to an increase in the volumes of waste streams
from electrical and electronic equipment (e-waste) in the country. E-Waste is known to contain
both valuable and hazardous fractions.
Thus, The Technical and Economic Cooperation Agreement between the Government of the
Republic of Ghana and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany gave rise to the
Environmentally Sound Disposal and Recycling of Electronic Waste (E-Waste Programme). The
Programme for technical cooperation is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for
Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by "Deutsche Gesellschaft
für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH" in partnership with the Ghanaian Ministry of
Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI). Its objective is to improve the
conditions for sustainable management and disposal of electronic waste in Ghana.

About GIZ
As a provider of international cooperation services for sustainable development and
international education work, GIZ is dedicated to building a future worth living around the world.
GIZ has over 50 years of experience in a wide variety of areas, including economic
development and employment, energy and the environment, and peace and security. The
diverse expertise of our federal enterprise is in demand around the globe, with the German
Government, European Union institutions, the United Nations, the private sector and
governments of other countries all benefiting from our services. We work with businesses, civil
society actors and research institutions, fostering successful interaction between development
policy and other policy fields and areas of activity. The German Federal Ministry for Economic
Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is our main commissioning party.
Currently, GIZ promotes sustainable development in Ghana via about 50 programmes and
projects. Our activities cover currently three priority areas: Agriculture, Governance and
Sustainable Economic Development. Additionally, our portfolio extends to other areas such as
renewable energy and climate and environment, peace and security. Another focus of GIZ’s
work is linking business interests with development-policy goals. Most of the programmes and
projects we support in Ghana have successfully brought together national and international
private companies, the public sector, and civil society groups to collaborate on development
initiatives.
Read more at: www.giz.de/ghana.