World Identity Network (WIN) is teaming up with United Nations agencies to launch a pilot initiative to use blockchain technology to combat child trafficking.

A part of the broader effort “Blockchain for Humanity”, the project will see active participation from the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the United Nations Office of Information and Communications Technology (UN-OICT).

According to United Nations statistics, nearly half of the world's children under the age of five do not possess a birth certificate. The global estimates for children under the age of 14 exceed 600 million children worldwide and the vast majority of them live in the world's poorest countries. These undocumented or “invisible” children and minors are easy prey for human traffickers, who often use fake identification documents to transport them across borders.

By securing digital identity on an immutable ledger, blockchain technology can help address this issue. The technology would assist in catching traffickers and make any such trafficking attempts more traceable and preventable.

"Child trafficking is one of the greatest human rights abuses. Leveraging blockchain technology offers potentially powerful solutions to address this serious challenge and save the lives of millions of children,” Yannick Glemarec, UN Assistant Secretary General and UN Women Deputy Executive Director said.