BROOKLYN, N.Y., March 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ConsenSys and
World Identity Network (WIN) agreed today to partner toward the
design and implementation of the first-ever pilot project that uses
blockchain technology to help combat child trafficking in
Moldova.
This pilot project is part of a broader initiative announced by
the World Identity Network (WIN) and organized in collaboration
with the United Nations Office of Information and Communications
Technology (UN-OICT), the United Nations Office for
Project Services (UNOPS), and the government of Moldova.
According to United Nations statistics, nearly 230 million of
the world's children under the age of five have never been
recorded. The vast majority of them live in the poorest countries,
such as Moldova. Undocumented
children and minors are easy prey for human traffickers, who often
use fake identification documents to transport them across borders.
Once trafficked, these children and minors are sold to sex
brothels, caught in modern slavery rings, and even used for the
illegal human organ trade. According to the Global
Challenge organizers, with new technologies and solutions,
such as digital identity on the blockchain, there is now a
significantly higher chance of catching traffickers and securing
data on an immutable ledger, further making any such trafficking
attempts more traceable and preventable.
Speaking of the opportunity to use the blockchain technology to
solve this humanitarian challenge, Joseph
Lubin, co-Founder of Ethereum and Founder of ConsenSys,
said, "ConsenSys is honored to have been selected to support this
critical initiative of the World Identity Network (WIN). The
Ethereum platform has a unique ability to create blockchain-based
identity systems that could alleviate the systemic causes of human
trafficking. The power of distributed networks makes it virtually
impossible for data on the system to be improperly manipulated by
unauthorized actors."
"We're proud to be working with ConsenSys on designing and
implementing a blockchain-based ID system that will be used to
solve some of the most pressing issues humanity faces today," says
Mariana Dahan, Founder and CEO of
World Identity Network (WIN). "Technology itself is not a silver
bullet, nor the single answer to the humanitarian challenges we
face. But it can act as a catalyst and provide incentives for
collaboration."
"Working with agencies and stakeholders on the ground to pilot
these solutions will be key to deploying innovative blockchain
solutions to solve this humanitarian challenge," says Vanessa Grellet, Executive Director at ConsenSys
Blockchain for Social Impact team.
Robert Greenfield, CTO of
ConsenSys Social Impact noted, "By localizing problem sets that
drive the prevalence of human trafficking in the region, we can
begin to develop iterative, effective, and simple solutions that
build upon the need for public policy around self-sovereign
identity solutions and demonstrate to the international community
innovative ways through which the Ethereum ecosystem can be
leveraged to help save lives."
The partners recognize the need for enhanced collaboration with
a broad range of stakeholders, each bringing their unique
perspective to the issue.
"When we run Challenges on the Unite Ideas platform, we
encounter an incredible diversity of civic-minded technologists and
socially-responsible companies who care about education, poverty,
health, the environment and many other social issues," said
Jorge Martinez Navarrete, Lead,
Innovation Unit at the UN Office of Information and Communications
Technology. "Today it is possible to collaborate globally on
open-source software projects bringing together a multi-cultural
and cross-sectoral pool of talent for social good. For instance,
the 'Blockchain for Humanity' Global Challenge brought together
blockchain companies with UN entities and civil society
organizations."
The results of such initiatives could contribute to the work of
many other United Nations agencies, international organizations and
governments around the world.
Tariq Malik, United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) Chief Technical Advisor, says that,
"Digital identity on the blockchain can help curb human trafficking
and it is incumbent on us all to explore and understand how this
technology can be used for social good".
To read more about the rationale behind the "Blockchain for
Humanity" Global Challenge and the solutions presented, including
the winning one from ConsenSys, download the report: "Blockchain
for Humanity: Turning Invisible Children into Invincible Ones".
To view the winning solution on the United Nations UniteIdeas
platform, please visit ideas.unite.un.org
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SOURCE ConsenSys