UN Secretary-General Says Organization Needs to Embrace Blockchain

• United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres says the organization must embrace blockchain technology.
• Guterres has supported blockchain in the past, recognizing the technology for its potential to reduce global poverty.

United Nations (UN) secretary-general Antonio Guterres says the intergovernmental organization should embrace blockchain technology moving forward. 

According to a statement provided to Forbes on Dec. 28, the former prime minister of Portugal called blockchain a crucial component to the UN in building a more sustainable world. 

Guterres said, 

For the United Nations to deliver better on our mandate in the digital age, we need to embrace technologies like blockchain that can help accelerate the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.

Guterres has previously vouched for blockchain technology. In a speech given in Sept. 2018, the UN official lamented a global lack of turst, or “trust deficit disorder” that could be partially solved by adopting blockchain. While Guterres also warned in the same speech about “near anonymous cryptocurrency payments,” he touted the technology for its value in meeting the United Nations sustainable development goals, which includes ending poverty by 2030.

The report highlights that Guterres support comes on the heels of China embracing blockchain and planning the launch of a central bank digital currency. The $6 billion United Nations Children’s Fund has also begun accepting bitcoin and ethereum for donations. 

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