Speaking at the United Nations headquarters in New York, blockchain logistics platform ShipChain urged attendees to harness the potential of blockchain to tackle the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to reduce poverty, end hunger, raise living standards and more. ShipChain CEO John Monarch’s remarks were delivered to the first Blockchain for Impact Global Summit, held in New York City on June 4, 2018. The event was hosted by the Blockchain Commission for Sustainable Development.
Monarch and other ShipChain executives joined working groups that included high-ranking government officials and ambassadors from around the world to discuss ways that blockchain can address some of the most pressing global problems.
Blockchain for Impact (BFI), was founded to advocate for and serve the growing community of blockchain companies and stakeholders from across the global blockchain ecosystem. The organization helps its members engage with leaders from the UN system.
At the summit, ShipChain collaborated with government officials and other companies to promote standards and the use of blockchain across global supply chains. ShipChain regards these collaborations as an important step towards taking blockchain applications mainstream. ShipChain also joined participants in discussing fiat currencies, money as debt, monetary policy, and quantitative easing.
ShipChain reminded participants that many of the UN’s goals involve massive logistics undertakings and used the opportunity to explain how blockchain can ensure visibility and accountability in areas where they might not otherwise exist. In tests, ShipChain’s blockchain platform has successfully enhanced supply chain security and lowered costs through its end-to-end “Track and Trace” solution. On a global level, these advantages could reduce world hunger, food insecurity, and address numerous other challenges.
“We’ve worked with people here to discuss standards and advancing supply chain in blockchain, and it affirmed to us that we are advanced in what we are developing, and that the entire space of supply chain in blockchain is still very early,” said ShipChain CEO John Monarch.
“What struck me the most was how invested in blockchain technology the UN is. They are currently piloting or have piloted several use cases for blockchain technology and believe the technology can help them solve a lot of the world’s problems by the year 2030. I suggested starting with the most pressing goals set out by the UN such as ending hunger, improving education and spurring innovation and infrastructure development. Revisiting these goals is a great way to get a sense of the problems they are trying to solve through their numerous organizations,” said Clinton Senkow, VP of Partnerships.
About ShipChain: Shipping is complicated. It shouldn’t be. ShipChain is making transport and logistics more effective, secure and transparent by utilizing blockchain technology. The company was founded with the mission of solving the greatest problems facing the logistics industry today. Our solution requires deep technology, but our vision is quite simple. Imagine a fully integrated system across the entire supply chain – from the moment it leaves the factory, to delivering the finished product to the customer’s doorstep – federated in trustless, transparent blockchain contracts.
Link to the UN event: https://blockchainforimpact.org
Link to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/
