News
UNDP launches global AI Foundations for Municipalities course
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched AI Foundations for Municipalities, a self-paced online course open to municipal staff and public servants worldwide, regardless of their role, technical background or prior knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI). Artificial intelligence is…
The (In)Visible Effects of the M4EG Mission Journey: A Balcony View of the Region
The Narrative of Transformation How we speak about change fundamentally shapes the change itself. In development, it is easy to default to reporting in templates with indicators, inputs, outputs, efficiencies, and deliverables. But working with human systems and our capacity…
UNDP and Exponential Science Foundation launch the Government Blockchain Academy in El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and Argentina
Istanbul, Lugano, 26 October 2026 — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), through its Alternative Finance Lab (AltFinLab), and the Exponential Science Foundation (ESF) have launched the Government Blockchain Academy in El Salvador, the Dominican…
On foot or by bike: Four new tourist routes to explore in Sireți
Just 17 km from Chișinău, Sireți invites visitors to slow down and discover the village from a different perspective. Four new tourist routes, two for walking and two for cycling, connect the locality’s better-known landmarks…
BOOSTCamp in Warsaw: Innovation ecosystem builders come together
Twelve organisations from Moldova and Ukraine, selected for the BOOST: Innovation Ecosystem Accelerator, will meet at a BOOSTCamp in Warsaw from 13–15 October. Held at the CIC Warsaw Innovation Campus and hosted with Venture Café Warsaw, UNDP BOOST’s…
GrantsFund4Aid concludes successful on-chain grant management pilot
GrantsFund4Aid, an on-chain grant management platform developed by Innofund, has concluded a pilot testing how blockchain technology can support more transparent, traceable and efficient grant management. It successfully disbursed test grants to ten teams participating…
GrantsFund4Aid concludes successful on-chain grant management pilot
GrantsFund4Aid, an on-chain grant management platform developed by Innofund, has concluded a pilot testing how blockchain technology can support more transparent, traceable and efficient grant management. It successfully disbursed test grants to ten teams participating…
UNDP and Blockchain for Good Alliance launch Cybersecurity Programme
The United Nations Development programme (UNDP) and Blockchain for Good Alliance (BGA), the global non-profit initiative founded by Bybit, dedicated to leveraging blockchain for societal impact, have signed an agreement to launch a two-year programme…
UNDP AltFinLab invites UN teams to apply for the 2026 SDG Blockchain Accelerator
The UNDP Alternative Finance Lab (AltFinLab) has launched an open call for the third edition of the SDG Blockchain Accelerator, inviting UNDP Country Offices and other UN entities to submit development challenges linked to active…
SDG Blockchain Accelerator: Driving SDG Impact in 2025
In 2025, the SDG Blockchain Accelerator delivered 46 pilot- and implementation-ready solutions, with 12 already entering real-world testing. Developed across two global cohorts, 70% of these solutions are embedded within ongoing national and regional programmes…
Digital payments that work under real constraints: Three UNDP SDG Blockchain Accelerator pilots show what last-mile readiness actually looks like
There’s a question that doesn’t get asked enough in digital finance: what does “working” actually mean when you’re operating at the last mile? Digital payments solve obvious problems on paper: instant settlement, lower fees, and…
UNDP launches new publication on blockchain and public-purpose digital systems
UNDP has released a new publication, “New Tech, New Partners: Transforming development in the digital era – A snapshot of UNDP’s blockchain practice,” offering a practical look at how blockchain technologies are being tested and…
Trash to tokens: Georgia’s bold experiment in e-waste recycling
Electronic waste, or e-waste, is one of the fastest-growing environmental and economic challenges of our time. According to the UN’s Global E-waste Monitor, more than 62 million tonnes of discarded devices were generated in 2022 alone,…
Co-Creating SDG Solutions: Highlights from the 2025 Blockchain Hackathon
In a time of rapid technological advancement, the question is no longer whether emerging technologies like blockchain have a role to play, but how they can be harnessed responsibly and inclusively at scale. The SDG…
37 Teams Selected to Join Cohort 2 of the SDG Blockchain Accelerator
The SDG Blockchain Accelerator has concluded its 2025 virtual global hackathon sprint with 37 winning teams selected to join Cohort 2. Over the next four months, these teams will pilot and scale blockchain-enabled solutions designed…
SDG Blockchain Accelerator Welcomes Sui as Technical Partner to Advance SDG‑Aligned Pilots
Sui’s high-performance blockchain will power pilots advancing censorship-resistant access to healthcare and other critical development initiatives. September 29, 2025 — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is expanding the SDG Blockchain Accelerator, a global initiative…
Plastiks and UNDP Armenia Working on a Partnership to Launch Traceable Plastic Recovery Pilot on Cardano
UNDP Armenia is in the process of starting a partnership with Plastiks to address the country’s underdeveloped recycling infrastructure by piloting a blockchain-based model that incentivizes plastic recovery through verified plastic credits. This collaboration is…
SDG Blockchain Accelerator Announces the Start of a Virtual Hackathon
UNDP Alternative Finance Lab (AltFinLab), in partnership with the Blockchain for Good Alliance (BGA), EMURGO Labs (with funding from Project Catalyst), Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) and Flock.io, is launching a virtual global hackathon to connect…