Diplomacy suffers under the pandemic
Unofficial meetings in the corridors of power are the stuff of diplomacy, but the pandemic has put a stop to that at the United Nations in Geneva.
The Covid-19 effect can be strongly felt at the current session of the Human Rights Council. With masks, social distancing, and limited places in the main conference hall, delegates are forced to join the sessions online rather than physically.
Jürg Lauber, the Swiss ambassador to the UN in Geneva, says it makes it very difficult to go about the normal business of diplomacy, which happens mostly at lunchtime, after office hours, and in small groups.
The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body that helps to protect human rights around the world. Created in 2006, it addresses human rights violations and makes recommendations on them. The Council is made up of 47 UN Member States. Its current session, the 45th, continues to October 7.
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