SWI swissinfo.ch/Matthew Allen: Swiss blockchain platform gives Rohingya identities

Front page - SWI swissinfo.ch

Refugee crisis
Swiss blockchain platform gives Rohingya identities
By Matthew Allen

    Politics

 See in other languages: 3
This content was published on April 4, 2018 11:14 AMApr 4, 2018 - 11:14
A Rohingya mother and child

Without formal ID Rohingya refugees face an uphill task accessing state aid
(Keystone)

Swiss digital identity platform Procivis has teamed up with an NGO to provide identities for 3.5 million Rohingya displaced from Myanmar. The system is aimed at giving Rohingya access to basic human rights and to help refugees integrate in other countries after being forced to flee their homeland.

The Rohingya Project NGO says the plight of Rohingya has been worsened as a result of a Myanmar (then Burma) government decree in 1982, which effectively excluded the minority population from holding citizenship or official state documentation.

“Being a Rohingya myself, I know what it means to belong to a stateless population first-hand. For our people, a secure digital identity isn’t just something nice to have – it’s an urgent necessity. If such an identity would have been in place when the Rohingya became stateless in 1982, our community wouldn’t have to face many of the struggles it is facing today,” Muhammad Noor, co-founder and managing director of the Rohingya Project said in a joint statement.

Rohingya refugees often find it impossible to access government services and integrate into society because they lack formal ID, the statement adds.

The blockchain Procivisexternal link eID platform has developed a five-step verification process that will allow Rohingya to create a digital identification. “For Procivis, the partnership marks its first non-profit initiative in support of the company’s broader vision to enable universal access to a secure digital identity,” the company stated.

According to the World Bank, there are around 1.1 billion people worldwide who are unable to prove their identityexternal link. Its Identification for Development (ID4D) initiative is aimed at helping meet the UN Sustainable Development Goal of providing everyone in the world with a legal ID by 2030.

Other agencies, such as the UN World Food Programme are also using blockchain technology to help them combat difficult conditions for refugees. Blockchain is a decentralised encrypted database that has been dubbed the Internet 2.0. It promises individuals greater control of their data and peer-to-peer transactions, cutting out middlemen and fees.
Rohingya Muslim girl outside her tent at Balukhali refugee camp in Bangladesh
Humanitarian crisis
Geneva puts spotlight on Myanmar’s Rohingya minority
By Simon Bradley

The plight of Myanmar’s Rohingya community was the centre of attention in Geneva with allegations of “acts of genocide” against the Muslim minority.

    in depth: International Geneva

    Politics
    Conflict


swissinfo.ch
Neuer Inhalt

Horizontal Line
subscription form

Form for signing up for free newsletter.

Sign up for our free newsletters and get the top stories delivered to your inbox.
Email address
Top stories (weekly)
Latest news (daily)
Business (weekly)
Politics (weekly)
Society (weekly)
Fintech (monthly)

Click here to see more newsletters
The citizens' meeting

The citizens' meeting
The citizens' meeting
Comment on this article:
|
Log In

Write a comment...

Related Stories
Rohingya Muslim girl outside her tent at Balukhali refugee camp in Bangladesh
Humanitarian crisis
Geneva puts spotlight on Myanmar’s Rohingya minority
By Simon Bradley

The plight of Myanmar’s Rohingya community was the centre of attention in Geneva with allegations of “acts of genocide” against the Muslim minority.

    in depth: International Geneva

    Politics
    Conflict

Foreign ministers and top officials from 51 states took part in the ASEM meeting in Myanmar.
Asia-Europe Meeting
Switzerland urges joint efforts to resolve Rohingya crisis

This week’s Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) has been positive, a top Swiss foreign ministry official has declared.

    Politics

See in another language: 1
Syrian refugees gather at Azraq refugees camp in Azraq, Jordan, 29 January 2018.
Blockchain for good
Charities and NGOs trial new technology to enhance performance
By Matthew Allen

Actors in the business and finance sectors aren't the only ones trying to find new applications for blockchain, the 'second-generation internet'.

    in depth: Fintech Switzerland

    Politics

See in another language: 1
Footer

    The company | Partnerships | Imprint | Jobs | Play SWI | Newsletter subscription | Contact

Back to top
World partners:

    Radio Netherlands Worldwide | Radio Canada International | Radio Praha | Polskie Radio

    RTS | SRF | RSI | RTR | SWI

Front page - SWI swissinfo.ch
swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR