UNITED NATIONS, Sep 11 (APP):Pakistan’s Mission to the United Nations (UN) and key UN tech bodies convened a pivotal briefing at UN Headquarters in New York to explore utilizing blockchain and digital assets for sustainable development. The briefing took place 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), according to a …
Pakistan’s Mission to United Nations collaborates with UN tech bodies on digital asset frameworks
UNITED NATIONS, Sep 11 (APP):Pakistan’s Mission to the United Nations (UN) and key UN tech bodies convened a pivotal briefing at UN Headquarters in New York to explore utilizing blockchain and digital assets for sustainable development.
The briefing took place 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), according to a press release of the Pakistan Mission.
The session 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.
In his welcome address, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, said digital assets, blockchain and related technologies were increasingly moving from the margins into mainstream discussions on finance, investment, payments and digital transformation.
He underscored the particular relevance of these developments for developing countries, which face persistent gaps in digital infrastructure, technical expertise, institutional capacity and access to finance.
Ambassador Asim Ahmad stressed the need for ensuring that developing countries were not merely consumers of emerging technologies but were also able to understand, shape and benefit from them. The international community needed to learn from practical experiences and identify approaches that could translate technological innovation into sustainable development outcomes.
He highlighted the importance of international cooperation, capacity-building, knowledge-sharing and technical assistance, noting that the United Nations, with its convening power and development mandate, could play an important role in helping Member States navigate this rapidly evolving landscape.
The keynote address was delivered by 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.
Saqib highlighted the potential of digital financial innovation to reduce the cost and increase the speed of cross-border remittances, expand financial inclusion and mobilize capital for development. He noted that remittances constitute a vital source of income for millions of families across the developing world, while the cost of sending relatively small amounts of money across borders remains significantly higher than international development targets.
He underlined the importance of bringing digital assets and related technologies within effective regulatory frameworks, emphasizing that innovation and regulation should not be viewed as competing objectives. According to him, clear and effective rules can help build confidence, protect users and create an environment in which digital financial technologies can develop responsibly.
The State Minister also outlined Pakistan’s recent efforts to establish a regulatory architecture for virtual assets, including the establishment of PVARA, legislative and licensing measures, and the development of a regulatory sandbox for innovation.
He identified three broad areas in which digital financial infrastructure could contribute to development: faster and more affordable remittances; new mechanisms for mobilizing investment and capital through tokenization; and greater transparency and traceability of financial flows.
He also drew attention to the potential application of blockchain-based systems in areas such as development finance, subsidies, aid and climate finance, while emphasizing that these opportunities must be accompanied by appropriate safeguards against illicit finance, financial losses and other risks.
Saqib cautioned against allowing differences in regulatory and technological capacity to create a new form of financial divide between developed and developing countries. He offered to share Pakistan’s experience, including its legislation, licensing framework and regulatory sandbox model, with other developing countries interested in exploring responsible approaches to digital assets.
He called for the United Nations to provide a platform where emerging economies could collectively contribute to shaping the rules and standards of the evolving digital financial system.
The briefing also featured perspectives from senior representatives of the UN system.
Robert Opp, Chief Digital Officer of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), shared UNDP’s perspective and work on digital technologies and development, including efforts aimed at strengthening institutional capacity and supporting governments in exploring responsible applications of blockchain and related technologies.
Juan Jose Martinez Badillo, Chief of UNCTAD’s New York Office, addressed the evolving financial and development dimensions of digital assets, while Quintin Chou-Lambert, Deputy to the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology, highlighted broader issues of digital cooperation, technology governance and capacity-building.
The speakers underscored the importance of strengthening institutional understanding, developing appropriate policy and regulatory frameworks, and ensuring that technological innovation contributes to inclusive and sustainable development.
The subsequent panel discussion, moderated by Muhammad Faheem of the Pakistan Mission, provided an opportunity for participants to exchange views on practical applications, policy considerations and lessons emerging from different country and institutional experiences.
Participants discussed the potential of blockchain and DLTs across digital finance, digital identity, public services, traceability and other development areas, while also considering challenges related to regulation, interoperability, cybersecurity, institutional capacity and equitable access.
The discussion also highlighted ongoing initiatives within the UN system, including UNDP’s Government Blockchain Academy and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Blockchain Accelerator, which provide platforms for governments to strengthen institutional understanding, exchange experiences and explore practical applications of blockchain technologies.
In his concluding remarks, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said the discussion had demonstrated the growing potential of digital assets and blockchain to shape the future of digital finance and public-service delivery.
He emphasized, however, that technology alone could not deliver development outcomes. Effective implementation, he noted, requires appropriate policy frameworks, institutional capacity, secure and interoperable infrastructure, and the ability of governments to identify solutions that respond to their specific national needs.
Ambassador Asim Ahmad stressed that developing countries must have the capacity not only to adopt emerging technologies but also to understand, shape and benefit from them.
He underscored the potential role of the United Nations in facilitating the exchange of experiences, supporting capacity-building and technical cooperation, and ensuring that the perspectives and development priorities of developing countries remain central to international discussions on emerging technologies.
The briefing concluded with a call for continued dialogue among Member States, the UN system, technology experts and other relevant stakeholders to promote responsible, inclusive and development-oriented approaches to digital financial innovation.
Ambassador Asim Ahmad thanked Minister Bilal Bin Saqib, UNDP, UNCTAD and ODET, the panelists and participating Member States and stakeholders for their contributions to the discussion.
