United Nations taps Algorand to develop blockchain training course for 22k employees

The United Nations Development Programme has partnered with Algorand Foundation to provide its staff with blockchain knowledge and insights.

In a press release on Nov. 30, 2023 the Algorand Foundation has announced the launch of a blockchain academy to bolster the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) staff capacity “through education and training in blockchain.”

The Algorand Blockchain Academy is set to be launch in Q1, 2024. It says it will provide 22,000 employees of UNDP with recorded lectures and interactive workshops. Robert Pasicko, Expert on Low Carbon Development and Alternative Finance at UNDP, said the collaboration “will be instrumental in equipping our team with the tools needed to address complex global challenges using blockchain technology.”

“We are thrilled to be in a position to leverage the credibility and expertise of the Algorand Foundation and key members of their ecosystem in order to upskill, empower, and inspire UN practitioners around the world.”

Robert Pasicko

During the learning course, UNDP staff will get to know how blockchain can extend financial services to marginalized communities, as well as enhance transparency in supply chains. Amid the news, Algorand’s native token ALGO surged by over 2%, trading at $0.13, according to CoinGecko data.

For the United Nations, this is not the first initiative aimed at blockchain technology. In July 2023, the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and the Government Blockchain Association (GBA) announced joint efforts to standardize blockchain. The partnership introduced the so-called Dynamic coalition on blockchain assurance and standardization, which relies on the GBA’s maturity model to promote blockchain adoption and ensure network interoperability.