• The United Nations’s migration agency will use blockchain to meet global standards of recruitment process of migrant workers
• Blockchain-based firm Diginex, in partnership with UN, developed a blockchain solution for recruitment agencies in Hong Kong

The UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced yesterday that it is going to use blockchain technology-based solutions to enhance the recruitment process of migrant workers. The announcement said that IOM  will use the International Recruitment Integrity System – Self-Assessment for Ethical Recruitment (IRIS-SAFER) system to increase transparency in the recruitment process of these workers.

The announcement was made by IOM in liaison with Diginex, a Honk Kong-based blockchain financial service firm. IRIS-SAFER will primarily be used by approximately 1,500 recruitment agencies in Hong Kong. In an attempt to adhere to ethical recruiting, these agencies will use IRIS to ensure they cohere to global standards of recruiting migrant or cross border workers.

Blockchain will be used to ensure data integrity and better data management. This will mean more transparency and less ambiguity when it comes to data analysis.

According to a recent survey conducted by the International Labour Organization (ILO), there are more than 390,000 domestic migrant workers in the Hong Kong area, which is approximately one-tenth of the population, according to the last census. Out of these, approximately 58% are charged illegal fees by recruitment agencies. Mark Blick, head of Government solutions at Diginex, said:

“Using the U.N.’s IRIS standards as the benchmark for reputable agencies, we are confident that the tool can help to strike out these unethical practices.”

The UN has also shown its interest in blockchain technology by accepting donations in cryptocurrencies, as previously reported by BitcoinNews.com.

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