The United Nations Development Program has launched the second cohort of its SDG Blockchain Acceleration Program, co-leading seven initiatives with Flock, its strategic partner.
Of the seven initiatives co-led by the institutions, five originate from African countries: Morocco, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Liberia, and Mauritius and Seychelles.
UNDP first announced Flock as a partner for its SDG Blockchain Accelerator in August, alongside Stellar Development Foundation (SDF). These companies joined the already existing UNDP partners for the Accelerator, Blockchain for Good Alliance (BGA), and EMURGO Labs.
The participants for the current accelerator cohort were selected following a two-week virtual blockchain hackathon. A total of thirty-seven teams were selected, in which African countries made up at least fourteen. These initiatives will be co-led by UNDP partners: BGA, SDF, Flock, and EMURGO Labs, with Flock supporting the highest number of African participants.
The selected initiatives focus on using blockchain technology or combining it with the privacy-preserving features of federated learning (FL) to address challenges specific to their respective countries.
Rwanda – Wildlife Conservation Revenue System
The Rwandan project introduces an NFT-based conservation financing platform to address the decline in funding for gorilla conservation as a result of the reduced tourist visits during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The initiative moves to replace its wildlife revenue system, which is solely dependent on tourism, with a blockchain-powered platform leveraging digital collectibles (NFTs), gamification, and virtual reality (VR) experiences of wildlife. The revenue generated will be equitably distributed among the local communities.
The project is developed in collaboration with the University of Cambridge and aligns with SDGs 4 (Quality Education), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and 15 (Life on Land).
Liberia – Instant Allowance Payments
Liberia’s initiative presents a blockchain-based payment infrastructure that relies on smart contracts to automate USD-pegged stablecoins for instant payment of Daily Subsistence Allowances (DSAs) to workshop and training participants in real-time, ensuring transparency and integrity.
The project aims to address the slow and cumbersome process of receiving DSAs by event participants in Liberia, which often takes days. It will also include an offline payment infrastructure for local communities with limited internet connectivity.
The initiative is developed in partnership with Korea University and supports SDGs 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
Sierra Leone – National Carbon Ledger
The Sierra Leonean team has developed a national carbon ledger built on Avalanche to address data gaps in the country’s climate reports.
The initiative implements robust Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) measures, in addition to blockchain’s immutable ledger, to ensure the accuracy of climate data.
Through smart contract automation, the project will distribute 20% of verified project proceeds directly to local communities. It seeks to advance SDGs 10 (Reduced Inequalities), 13 (Climate Action), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
Morocco – Cultural Heritage and Market Access
The Moroccan project combines artificial intelligence and blockchain technology to empower cultural artisans.
Multi-modal AI tools are used to create marketing content, eliminate intermediaries, and increase artisans’ compensation. The protection of the art against infringement is addressed through NFT authentication. The project also proposes an omnichain integration to connect Moroccan artisans with customers both within and beyond the web3 ecosystem.
The initiative advances SDGs 1 (No Poverty), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).
Mauritius & Seychelles – Patient Data Governance
The team developed a blockchain and federated learning-powered health system that improves the transparency and governance of patient data. It grants patients control over how their data is used and shared and prevents unauthorized access.
By leveraging federated learning, the project enables real-time consent management, substantially enhancing patient trust and ensuring compliance with relevant data protection laws in Mauritius.
The project is being developed in collaboration with researchers from Lingnan University, Hong Kong, and it advances SDGs 3 (Good Healthcare), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions).
UNDP’s Strategy toward a New Model for Sustainable Global Economies
UNDP first explored blockchain technology in 2015 to implement practical solutions in multiple economies, such as tracking cocoa supply chains and democratizing energy trading to enable digital impact coins for investment.
In late 2023, the UNDP announced its Blockchain Academy, designed to provide staff with training on blockchain technology and its applications for sustainable development projects. The beta phase certified 30 UN personnel.
Barely a year later, the program secured a partnership with the Algorand Foundation and expanded globally, training about 24,000 staff, UN volunteers, and personnel from the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).
Within the same year, UNDP also collaborated with the Algorand Foundation and fintech partners Circle, WorldPay, and Mercy Corps Ventures to form a council to improve access to blockchain-based cash assistance for humanitarian crises.
Recently, UNDP announced plans to help governments adopt blockchain technology through two initiatives: a blockchain training program for government officials and a global blockchain advisory group.
Through these multifaceted and strategic initiatives, UNDP continues to demonstrate targeted and practical efforts to drive blockchain adoption across various economies.
Conclusion: A New Era of Decentralized Economies
The UNDP’s SDG Blockchain Accelerator is a testament to the transformative potential of blockchain technology in strengthening governance and economic models across countries.
For Africa, a region rapidly adopting blockchain innovation, the program promises not only wider adoption and better blockchain infrastructure but also a pathway to integrate blockchain technology into vital sectors that can significantly enhance national economies.
Most blockchain solutions in Africa have mainly concentrated on finance and payment systems; the Accelerator Program shows that this technology can also help tackle important issues in areas like conservation, healthcare, governance, climate reporting, and cultural heritage, opening up new opportunities for sustainable digital growth in the region.
