The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is actively exploring the use of blockchain technology to improve assistance to people forced to leave areas of military conflict.
During a panel discussion organized by Decentral House in Switzerland, Carmen Hett, Head of the Financial and Administrative Department of UNHCR, announced the development of a blockchain system for refugee identity verification. The event also gathered representatives of other international organizations, including the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), who discussed the integration of blockchain into their operations.
The goal of the UNHCR project is to provide fast and secure verification of refugee identities for receiving financial assistance to digital wallets, protecting their data, and minimizing commissions. Blockchain will also give refugees the ability to directly manage their funds, increasing their digital literacy. With transaction records on the network, the UN can transparently monitor operations, preventing fraud.
UNHCR plans to use USDC stablecoins, popular among traders and easily convertible into fiat money. Considering that there are over 114 million refugees worldwide, the use of blockchain will significantly simplify the UN's tasks, Hett emphasized. UNHCR has already successfully tested its blockchain solution in Ukraine, receiving the Best Impact Project Award at the Paris Blockchain Week in 2023.
Carmen Hett emphasized the importance of innovation in humanitarian institutions for effective assistance to people suffering from military conflicts and the need to adapt blockchain to the needs of vulnerable population groups.
Previously, the UN recognized blockchain as an effective tool in the fight against corruption. In 2020, the UN, in collaboration with the LTO Network, launched a blockchain platform for land rights registration.
