ITU Invites Experts to Apply Blockchain in UN Operations

The UN specialized agency for information and communication technologies, ITU, suggests that use cases of blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT) are emerging in sectors such as telecom, finance, supply chain, and government.

Leading organizations across the UN system are exploring how applications of blockchain technology could increase the efficiency and transparency of UN operations.

Now ITU is soliciting input on promising DLT-based use cases, the benefits realized by DLT in these specific use cases, and their associated standardization needs.

All interested parties can submit their input to the ITU Focus Group on DLT applications.

Use cases will be evaluated using the following criteria:

• Completeness of the information provided
• Value added by DLT to the use case submitted
• Description of standardization requirements specific to the use cases

Submissions will assist ITU in highlighting the value of blockchain applications to the pursuit of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Use cases received before 4 January 2019 will be considered by the group’s next face-to-face meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 14-17 January 2019, hosted by the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES).

The meeting will include a workshop on 14 January emphasizing the ability of DLT to support transparency and integrity.

The Focus Group is expected to complete its work by September 2019. One of the group’s priorities is to deliver an ‘assessment framework’ to support efforts to understand the strengths and weaknesses of DLT platforms in different use cases. The group is also developing a high-level DLT architecture – a reference framework – detailing the key elements of a DLT platform.

The Focus Group’s findings are expected to inform ITU technical standardization activities on DLT and blockchain technology.

Photo: ITU