#1648726 IADES - 2021 - Diplomata (Terceiro Secretário)

Text 4 to answer question.

The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly shaken up old structures and accelerated 180-degree changes and innovation. Diplomacy and multilateral systems are no exception. The impossibility to meet face to face, given the confinement, social-distancing, and other sanitary measures, has demanded an overnight transformation of the diplomatic business as we know it. Technological platforms have made it possible for diplomats from all over the world to continue discussions and advance the multilateral agenda across the United Nations, and more broadly, the international community. Representatives from larger and smaller delegations have gathered in front of their screens, and found themselves negotiating in a whole new environment, one that is evolving at a very rapid pace. Sometimes delegates do not have the possibility of consulting with their capital-based experts as the negotiation period gets shortened. Different time zones and the lack of systems that may provide for simultaneous interpretation have also hindered the participation of technical experts, academics, the civil society, the private sector, and other representatives that are based outside multilateral hubs. Nonetheless, it has become clear that delegations from the developing world are underrepresented in virtual gatherings. Not only are governments focused on tackling the pandemic back home, but non-effective access to technology and the lower numbers of personnel have negatively impacted their engagement in the digital realm.

Munoz, Maricela. “Diplomacy in times of COVID-19.” Diplo (blog).

Jul. 16, 2020. Accessed Sep. 10, 2020. https://www.diplomacy.edu/blog, with adaptations.

Considering the ideas of the text, mark the following item as right (C) or wrong (E).

According to the text, the current viral outbreak has sped up the move towards small groups of diplomats holding their meetings online, but not large ones.