Barbados said it is the first country in the world to establish a digital embassy in a metaverse.
Barbados has struck an agreement with Decentraland, a company that hosts a user-owned, 3D digital world, comprised of 90,601 plots of ‘land’.
The Barbados Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade approved the decision in August and is set to open the virtual embassy in January 2022.
The metaverse is a concept coined in the 1992 sci-fi novel Snow Crash to describe a kind of three-dimensional virtual reality version of the internet where people are present as avatars and move through a digital representation of the real world.
Decentraland began its own metaverse in 2017, allowing users to build on their plots, create online games, gambling services and more.
Barbados is also planning to open virtual embassies with three other metaverse providers.
The move is expected to prompt other nations to establish virtual embassies, consulates and tourist sites. Barbados had to consult lawyers when working on the proposal to remain compliant with international law and the Vienna Convention. However, the new technology is unlikely to replace the old ways of diplomacy.
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