Synergies | 27-29 January 2021 & 26 February 2021 | Joint meeting of the bureaux of the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions

The bureaux of the conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions met from 27 to 29 January 2021 to discuss the organization of the 2021 meetings of the conferences of the Parties, considering the possible implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the meetings.

Under the current COVID-19 pandemic situation, and related travel and gatherings restrictions, the bureaux came to the conclusion that it was not possible to proceed with the organization of the COPs as originally planned as face to face meetings from 19 to 30 July 2021 in Geneva, Switzerland, and agreed that an alternative option for convening the 2021 meetings of the conferences of the Parties needed to be explored.

At the conclusion of their 29 January session, the bureaux decided to suspend their joint meeting until 26 February 2021 to allow further regional consultations on a proposed way forward for the organization of the 2021 meetings of the conferences of the Parties.

The joint bureaux meeting will resume on 26 February 2021 at which time the bureaux are expected to agree on the format and dates of the 2021 meetings of the conferences of the Parties.