Challenges and Concerns surrounding the virtual conduct of the upcoming Basel Convention Conference of the Parties
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Secretariat of the Basel Convention* recently announced that the Bureau of the Basel Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) determined it not feasible to organize the upcoming face-to-face meeting June 22-25, 2020 in Geneva, Switzerland. Rather, the Bureau has decided the meeting will be conducted “by electronic means”. This will be historically the first time a Basel OEWG will be organized in a virtual setting, and this decision raised several issues and questions among Basel Parties, observers and stakeholders.