Blockchain: practices and perspectives

Blockchain is "a chain of ledgers distributed over a network that is robust in its unstructured simplicity, that is computationally impractical for an attacker to change, that no one can control but everyone can view, and that can connect an individual with another individual without giving up trust to a third party or a central authority" (source: un-blockchain.org). The rise of blockchain technology, based on disintermediation and non-centralization, offers fascinating opportunities of breakthrough changes in many areas of society and governance. An ecosystem of transaction and operation solutions is being developed, with the potential to disrupt existing economic power structures and build more inclusive knowledge societies.

To better highlight how blockchain technology can be applied for social good, UNESCO, the UNESCO Chair of “Digital Transmission, Innovation and Publishing” of the Fondation Maison de Sciences de l’Homme, and the University Paris 8 will co-organize a high-level conference entitled “Blockchain: practices and perspectives” at UNESCO Headquarters on 17 May 2019.

The conference will be an opportunity for multi-stakeholder, institutional, entrepreneurial and scientific exchanges. The conference will allow interdisciplinary discussions between researchers and practitioners of computer science, humanities and social sciences, economics and law. Particular emphasis will be placed on cases of practices by giving voice to public and private blockchain project developers.