The UN Security Council held a videoconference for the first time in its history on Tuesday for an informal meeting on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which diplomats said was marked by several technical difficulties.
"It's a bit artisanal, we're still going to grope but we're going to get there , " wants to believe on condition of anonymity one of these diplomats. "It is better to work at least than not at all," he told AFP, regretting that the Security Council, under Chinese presidency in March, has not been more active since its last meeting at headquarters from the UN on March 12.
The meeting, which was to serve as a "test" , according to a diplomatic source, had not been placed on the official agenda of the Security Council. It took place without access for the media with ambassadors or assistants confined to their homes in front of their computer screen.
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According to diplomats, the meeting lasted in total more than four hours, including the discussion that followed the Congolese session on the organization of the continuation of the work of the Council. In particular, interruptions to the session due to various incidents, ranging from the disconnection of some to problems with the power supply.
In an image posted on Twitter, Tunisia is the only country not represented by a diplomat. "Their connection was cut for a very short time," said one participant.
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If the Security Council is used to hearing speakers by video, live from the country where they are assigned, such a meeting by video for all of its 15 members "has never occurred in its history" , notes a specialist of the Organization.
All interventions were conducted in English, favoring Anglo-Saxon countries, the use of Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Spanish or French, the five other official languages at the UN, not being not possible due to technical impossibilities.
Russia refuses until today that votes take place in a “virtual” way and claims “physical” sessions at the UN headquarters that the Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has kept open despite the coronavirus pandemic .
