Decentralized ID, ZK-credentials key to refugee security: United Nations
Decentralized identity through zero-knowledge proofs (ZK-proofs) is critical to ensuring the safety of migrants forced to cross borders, says the UN's treasurer.
Currently, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is tasked with building an identification infrastructure to ensure that refugees can be identified and evacuated quickly, said Carmen Heit, treasurer of UNHCR's Department of Finance and Management.
One of the challenges faced by refugees is their ability to prove their identity, as their own government is often the key to their identity.
“Think of yourself as a migrant crossing a border, the laws in every country are not the same, so the main thing is [to have] According to Cointelegraph's Cristina Koerner at a December 14 panel discussion in Geneva, Hate is a system that validates the trust we place as UNHCR in ensuring that identity is safe and vulnerable.
Applying Het ZK certifications can help keep migrants safe when crossing borders.
“In the context of immigration, identity, data protection, borderless authentication, building trust, making sure we deploy zero-knowledge authentication, there are many techniques to make this more secure.
A migrant who cannot prove his or her identity may end up being denied access to a bank account, job opportunities and other benefits and services in the host country, Concordium reports.
ZK-proofs can be used as an alternative solution, argued Heath. ZK-proofs is a cryptographic protocol that allows one party to prove the truth of a statement to another party without sharing the content of the statement.
Identity verification is typically integrated into digital identity solutions to ensure that a verifier or anyone else can verify identity without having to see original documents.
But the UN treasurer said more efforts are needed from regulators to increase adoption.
A big thank you to the amazing #media representatives who attended the inaugural #web3 collaboration space!
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— Decentralized House (@DecentralHouse) December 18, 2023
UNHCR is mandated to assist and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless persons and to assist them in their voluntary repatriation, reintegration or resettlement in a new country. The agency was established in December 1950 to help millions of Europeans in the aftermath of World War II.
The United Nations has launched a pilot currency-based intervention project in December 2022 that will provide the U.S. dollar coin (USDC) stablecoin in an accessible wallet to Ukrainian refugees displaced by the Ukraine-Russia war.
The project made it easier for Ukrainian immigrants to find Fiat, Heath explained.
We won the ‘Best Impact Project Award' at #PBW2023 for a pilot project using blockchain technology for war-displaced people in Ukraine. Gradual scaling is planned with context in mind and a focus on the people we serve. More: https://t.co/JCTvWxo5Wm
— UNHCR, United Nations Refugee Agency (@refugees) March 23, 2023
Related: Constellation Partnership to Grant Funds to Ukrainian Refugees through USDC
Heath praised the speed, accuracy and transparency of the UN's support for people in need around the world.
“[Because of blockchain] We can deliver help in literally minutes.
Heath said UNHCR is also focusing on strengthening the financial and digital literacy of displaced refugees.
“We prepare them to move across borders for the future and carry the money in their wallets in a safe deposit box, so it's very attractive.”
“Whenever we have a crisis, we want to respond to basic needs with cash assistance. Having a portable digital wallet can be a powerful tool to promote financial inclusion and help people engage in digital literacy.” – Carmen Heitt, @refugees #Consensus2023
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