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Blockchain for transformation: towards sustainable and resilient societies

Blockchain is an important emerging innovation that has the potential to bring together all the stakeholders involved in value chains and those regulating them. Blockchain can be used to advance the implementation and monitoring of many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as reducing food waste, supporting sustainable production or providing legal identities and financial services to refugees and the very poor.
During the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, taking place over the next two weeks, UNECE-UN/CEFACT, UNOPS, the Republic of Slovenia and the Dutch Blockchain Coalition, are convening a roundtable between policymakers, the private sector, and international organizations.
This session will provide a mutual learning space where policymakers can interact with their peers and other relevant stakeholders on the potential applications of blockchain technology and lessons learned from existing applications, and how transformations enabled by blockchain towards sustainable and resilient societies can further the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.
It will also showcase how innovative start-ups and young entrepreneurs are developing solutions based on blockchain/distributed ledger technology to solve issues related to the SDG targets under review by the HLPF.
This roundtable will feature perspectives from a range of speakers, including Ms Olga Algayerova, the Executive Secretary of UNECE, HE Mr Tadej Slapnik, the State Secretary of Slovenia, Mr Gregor Novak, CEO of SunContract, Mr Ad Kroft, Chair of The Netherlands’ National Blockchain Coalition, Mr Ben Siegel, Global Project and Partnership Lead at Consensys, and Mr Yoshiyuki Yamamoto, Special Advisor on UN Engagement and Blockchain for UNOPS. The session will be moderated by Ms Maria Rosaria Ceccarelli, Chief of the Trade Facilitation Section of UNECE.
The roundtable will take place on 11 July 2018 from 13:00 in the UNOPS offices, in New York. For more information please visit: http://www.unece.org/hlpf2018-blockchain.html.
If you are not able to join us in New York, a conference call will be launched at the beginning of the debates. You can join us virtually at: https://unops.webex.com/unops/j.phpMTID=m0a249a986bf396a8da5f7075d10c1902 from 13:00 (time in New York) on Wednesday 11 July.

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