Secondly, online meetings wouldn't get the job done. I have had some experience in online vs face-to-face negotiations over complex issues. I was on an executive committee for a small world industry org with centres in over 90 countries. We adopted Skype very early and it was great for regular business, presenting reports, dealing with minor issues etc.
The problem in negotiating a unanimous agreement with so many countries though is it's a fluid process and you need to be in the same room. One example. Negotiating with Japanese, you need to figure out who the dealmaker is (it's not usually the head of delegation) and have private chats with them. Getting a deal with Japanese involves piercing the intricate personal politics of their negotiators to find what they want, what they will give, and where a meeting point can be found. Then there's every other county's quirks that have to be massaged and attended to if you want to get a deal. Groupings form, meetings are held, then new groupings arise. It's like a swirling mass of activity that continually changes. You have to ride that wave of activity to influence its outcome for your people.
Thirdly, there is the possibility of online meetings being hacked or your confidential comments being recorded and broadcast out of context. I always speak online as though I'm being recorded. Never let my guard down. Hard to negotiate the controversial stuff online.
