UNDP AltFinLab

UNDP’s Alternative Finance Lab pioneers new ways to fund sustainable development at the intersection of innovation, technology, and finance.

[Blockchain for Good Alliance (BGA) @ChainforGood]

It's official once again. The UNDP × BGA Cybersecurity Programme is live.

Two years.
Three channels: the SDG Blockchain Accelerator, the Government Blockchain Academy, and dedicated training for UNDP Country Offices and government partners.
Focus: data protection, secure digital payments, security of public digital services.

Let's do this 🌐

Full announcement from our partners at @UNDP_AltFinLab/@UNDP:
🔗 https://t.co/aKfGeyRhxq

[UNDP AltFinLab @UNDP_AltFinLab]

🇲🇾 Last week, together with @MyUNDP, we met with Malaysia's Ministry of Digital (@kemdigital_gov) in Putrajaya to discuss strengthening public-sector capabilities in emerging technologies and their applications in public services.

The meeting brought together Secretary General Datuk Fabian Bigar, Deputy Secretary General Ma. Sivanesan, and a UNDP delegation led by Resident Representative Edward Vrkić (@EdwardVrkic), including Government Blockchain Academy Lead @burcu_maviss.

🌟 Discussions centred on the proposed implementation of the #GovernmentBlockchainAcademy in Malaysia and opportunities for further collaboration, including participation across ministries and government agencies, supporting the country's digital transformation priorities and AI 2030 ambitions.

We look forward to continuing discussions on how the Academy could support Malaysia's efforts to improve public services.

[UNDP AltFinLab @UNDP_AltFinLab]

🎊 UNDP AltFinLab and @ChainforGood launched a 2-year programme at the Cybersecurity, Trust & Digital Safety Launch Summit in Singapore today.

Together, we’ll strengthen cybersecurity knowledge and capacity across the UN ecosystem, advancing safer, more trusted & resilient digital systems.

[DFINITY Foundation @dfinity]

Digital transformation is one of three enablers in the UNDP's strategic plan through 2029.

Ali Theyab Al-Zuhairi's team surveyed community organizations in countries with limited digital access. 86% had no digital platform or application of their own, despite having clear digital needs when you ask them. 68% are women-led. 98% were still at pilot or prototype stage.

That is the opportunity he wants to move on: the need is already articulated, and the people doing the work are already there.

@AliATheyab @UNDP

[UNDP AltFinLab @UNDP_AltFinLab]

📢 For UN Teams Only, Deadline extended to 10 October!

UN teams with active programmes and implementation challenges still have time to apply to the #SDGBlockchainAccelerator.

Technical support, ecosystem access and catalytic funding pathways are part of it.

Apply: https://t.co/BVoxqHGjPF

***
The SDG Blockchain Accelerator is led by @UNDP_AltFinLab in strategic partnership with the @ChainforGood, alongside the @Cardano_CF, @dfinity, @flock_io, @StellarOrg, and @partisiampc.

[UNDP AltFinLab @UNDP_AltFinLab]

🪙 During #UNGA week, @UNDP, @WFP and @circle Foundation came together for Stablecoins for Public Good: From Pilots to Programme Delivery.

Whether it’s a cash-for-work wage, a community grant or humanitarian assistance, digital payments need to reach people safely, quickly and at a reasonable cost. And as regulations evolve, the discussion explored where stablecoins could help alongside existing payment channels.

🌟 Lessons from the #SDGBlockchainAccelerator are now informing UNDP’s new Digital Asset Innovation Pool.

Learn more: https://t.co/qJFg9jNEQR

[Circle @circle]

Circle Foundation is supporting two initiatives led by @UNDP and @WFP to advance digital payments and financial infrastructure for development and humanitarian action.

https://t.co/SeDkNrUAiV

[UNDP Eurasia @UNDPEurasia]

How can digital payments help development and humanitarian support reach people faster and at lower cost?

With support from @circle Foundation, @UNDP and @WFP are exploring new approaches, including regulated stablecoins.

https://t.co/olpiFhF3Nv

[UNDP AltFinLab @UNDP_AltFinLab]

For @UN teams only...

⏳ Still wondering whether your project fits the #SDGBlockchainAccelerator?

Applications close on 30 September, and over the past few weeks we have been hearing some very practical questions during our regional briefings and conversations with Country Offices' teams.

🔗 Explore the FAQs and apply by 30 September:
https://t.co/YpFMcnR3eZ

***
The SDG Blockchain Accelerator is led by @UNDP_AltFinLab in strategic partnership with the @ChainforGood, alongside the @Cardano_CF, @dfinity, @flock_io, @StellarOrg, and @partisiampc.

[Cardano Foundation @Cardano_CF]

One week left for UN teams to submit a development challenge to the 2026 SDG Blockchain Accelerator. 🌐

We've partnered with @UNDP_AltFinLab and @ChainforGood to connect those challenges with solution-makers who can address them.

Apply now: https://t.co/dhZ05aYnIz

[PNUD El Salvador @PNUDSV]

La Academia acercará a funcionarios públicos a conocimiento especializado, expertos internacionales y casos prácticos para explorar el potencial de #Blockchain en áreas como identidad y pagos digitales, inclusión financiera, gobernanza, acción climática e innovación pública.

[UNDP AltFinLab @UNDP_AltFinLab]

🇸🇻 El Salvador officially joins the inaugural 2026 cohort of the #GovernmentBlockchainAcademy.

✨ Launched with @PNUDSV, the Academy will work with +300 public officials across @MedioAmbienteSV, @recolectoressv, @rnpn_sv and @AgenciaEsco.

Over the coming months, they will build the knowledge and practical tools to assess where blockchain and related emerging technologies can support public-sector priorities, how they can fit within existing systems, and what responsible implementation requires.

💡 For El Salvador, the Academy connects with ongoing work on digital transformation and digital readiness, including the country’s 2025 Digital Readiness Assessment and efforts around digital inclusion and the governance and use of emerging technologies.

Learn more:
https://t.co/96vXLJt5ZA

[DFINITY Foundation @dfinity]

"The question every government asks now is how to keep meaningful resilience around their national data."

AI is changing how software gets built and how services reach people, and countries are choosing the infrastructure they will run on in the middle of it.

Ali Theyab Al-Zuhairi shared his thoughts on what the UNDP brings to that choice: trust. He calls it the real currency.

@AliATheyab @UNDP

[DFINITY Foundation @dfinity]

Thank you to everybody who joined us today for the Internet Computer for Nations session here on X.

In case you missed it, please check out the recording here: https://t.co/wonjFdkikC

[DFINITY Foundation @dfinity]

X Space: Internet Computer for Nations

Sunday 20 September
1:00 PM CEST · 3:00 PM GST · 4:00 PM PKT · 7:00 AM EDT

https://t.co/VPKkwYyjmT

Hear the latest on:

• Pakistan, the first country operating a Sovereign Cloud Engine, using https://t.co/XTBZFT1DC6 to build and deploy government apps directly onto its own infrastructure

• The pilot of a sovereign messaging app for Pakistan

• The @UNDP and DFINITY collaboration to bring sovereign digital technology to other nations and institutions, capitalizing on the progress driven by the Pakistan Digital Authority (@digitalauthpk)

• The Internet Computer as a new tech stack for AIware that empowers agentic nations

With:

Dr. Sohail Munir, Chairperson, Pakistan Digital Authority (@sohailmunir)

Ali Theyab Al-Zuhairi, Digital Economies Lead, UNDP (@AliATheyab)

Pierre Samaties, Chief Business Officer, DFINITY Foundation (@PierreSamaties)

Matt Grogan, Co-founder, OpenChat (@Grogan73)

[UNDP AltFinLab @UNDP_AltFinLab]

🪙 Digital finance is moving fast, and governments need practical ways to assess where digital assets, tokenization, blockchain and DLTs can actually improve public systems.

At @UN Headquarters, @UNDP joined the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN (@PakistanUN_NY), @UNCTAD, @ODET_UN and other partners to connect policy thinking with real implementation experience.

The focus was practical value across payments, financial inclusion, digital identity and access to finance, with public value and safeguards at the core.

🌟 Supported by @UNDP_AltFinLab, the briefing also built on work through the #GovernmentBlockchainAcademy and #SDGBlockchainAccelerator, bringing country experience, institutional learning and implementation pathways into the room.

[Cardano Foundation @Cardano_CF]

1/4

As Cohort 3 of the SDG Blockchain Accelerator gets underway, we wanted to share a little more context on how Cardano’s involvement has evolved, and what’s different this time.

The Cardano community helped establish our involvement in @UNDP_AltFinLab's SDG Blockchain Accelerator.

Through Project Catalyst Fund 13, ada holders approved 890,400 ada to support Cohorts 1 and 2, enabling Cardano ecosystem teams to work with UN development programmes.

For Cohort 3, we’re building on that community-backed investment directly. The Cardano Foundation is funding a dedicated Cardano track, with up to four ecosystem solution makers to be matched with UN development challenges.

[Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN @PakistanUN_NY]

The Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology (ODET), convened a briefing at the United Nations Headquarters on the opportunities and policy challenges associated with digital assets, blockchain, tokenization and distributed ledger technologies (DLTs) for sustainable development.

Held at the UN headquarters, the briefing brought together Member States, UN entities and experts from the public and private sectors to exchange perspectives on the rapidly evolving digital financial landscape and examine how emerging technologies can contribute to financial inclusion, efficient payments and remittances, investment, capital mobilization, digital identity, public services and sustainable development.

The keynote address was delivered by Mr. Bilal Bin Saqib, Minister of State and Chairman of the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA), who outlined Pakistan’s experience in developing a regulatory framework for digital assets.

Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Permanent Representative of Pakistan, welcomed the guests and made concluding remarks.

Mr. Robert Opp, Chief Digital Officer of UNDP, Mr. Juan José Martinez Badillo, Chief of UNCTAD’s New York Office and Mr. Quintin Chou-Lambert, Deputy to the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology shared their perspectives on the occasion. The main presentations were followed by a panel discussion moderated by Muhammad Faheem, Second Secretary of the Pakistan Mission.

A quick recap of the briefing below

@robert_opp
@UNDP
@UNCTAD
@UNTechEnvoy
@PakistanPR_UN
@Asimiahmad
@Bilalbinsaqib
@PakistanVARA