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Article

25 Jan 2019

Author:
Dean Pinkert, James Ton-that & Ravi Soopramanien, OpenGlobalRights

Commentary: Blockchain technologies offer transparency that could improve human rights practices

Blockchains are generating excitement across industries due to their potential to improve supply chain transparency. Less well known is their capacity to help companies conform to supply chain integrity commitments required by the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights... Any company with multi-layered, cross-border supply chains should consider implementing blockchain solutions to comply with the supply chain integrity laws... In the absence of blockchain solutions, activities occurring within a supply chain can be difficult to trace beyond the first two levels of suppliers... blockchains are being deployed to support a growing number of human rights claims... The use of blockchains is not without risk: companies will have concerns about disclosing sensitive and business proprietary information to a wide audience. Further, while increased transparency, along with the democratization of information, is frequently cited as a benefit of blockchain, there is a corresponding danger that the personal and identifying information of those assisted may be utilized or recorded without their permission. [refers to Barclays, BNP Paribas, Coca-Cola, De Beers, Sainsbury's, Sappi, Standard Chartered & Unilever]