The tiny Caribbean nation of Barbados has announced the establishment of what it presents as the first diplomatic representation in the metaverse, a version of virtual reality on the Internet.
No details were provided, but Barbados said this week that clients will be able to obtain consular services virtually once the project is up and running.
Authorities on this island of about 300,000 have not offered a start date, but have indicated that they have signed an agreement with the Decentraland platform and are finalizing agreements with two others.
Metaverse has become a buzzword for the future of the internet, especially since social media giant Meta, the new name of Facebook, announced a multi-million dollar effort to build a digital world where people feel face to face but communicate through through virtual reality technologies.
“Barbados looks forward to welcoming the world to its embassy in the metaverse,” said Senator Jerome Walcott, the country’s foreign minister.
The island, which plans to become a republic and free itself from the tutelage of Queen Elizabeth II, said it would also maintain physical embassies.
“In some ways, it’s super advanced and innovative,” said Rabindra Ratan, associate professor of media at Michigan State University.
Using this technology could allow the small nation to have a voice in the diplomatic arena, its political leaders noted.
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