In its goal of widening the reach among diplomatic missions to virtually anywhere in the world, the Council on Diplomacy launched its "Virtual Diplomacy Project" in 1999.

The advancement in the information and communication technologies (ICT), has resulted in a world in which virtually everyone everywhere, has the potential to reap the benefits of connectivity in the World Wide Web.

While the private sector and few of the well-budgeted diplomatic missions in New York and in Washington, DC enjoy the benefits of the Internet Technologies, many embassies, consular offices, and permanent missions are deprived of having their presence on the world wide web. To help bridge the digital divide among the diplomatic missions, the Council provides web design, development, maintenance, and hosting solutions.

Since 1999, the Council has designed, developed, and maintained web sites of various Embassies in Washington, DC and Permanent Missions to the United Nations in New York.

Details of the Virtual Diplomacy Project is available upon request by contacting the Executive Director at executive.director@codia.org.

The Council would like to thank His Excellency Ambassador Bob Jalango, Permanent Ambassador of Kenya to the United Nations and Chairman of the ECOSOC Working Group on Informatics, for his continued support and faith in us. In October 2002, we launched the official web site of the Kenya Mission (www.un.int/kenya). The Council now continues developing web sites of Permanent Missions to the UN.

Vince Sinning
ICT Consultant To The Diplomatic Missions