Promotes the use of distributed ledger technologies (DLT) to strengthen democracy, human rights, transparency, and sustainability, urging U.S. agencies to explore and support DLT applications globally.
Gabe Amo
Representative
RI-1
This resolution supports the use of distributed ledger technologies (DLT) like blockchain to strengthen democratic governance, human rights, transparency, and sustainability. It urges U.S. agencies to explore and support DLT applications, promote its use to combat censorship, and engage with experts to develop ethical regulations and policies. The resolution emphasizes DLT's potential to enhance government accountability, secure data, and improve aid distribution, while also calling for further research and investment in DLT to benefit the public and democratic institutions.
Resolution Urges US Agencies to Explore Blockchain Tech for Democracy, Aid, and Free Speech
This resolution serves as a strong nudge, encouraging various U.S. government agencies—like the State Department and USAID—to seriously investigate and potentially back the use of Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT). Think of DLT as a super secure, shared digital record book; blockchain is the best-known example. The core idea is to leverage this tech to bolster democratic practices, protect human rights, increase transparency in government and aid, and even support environmental sustainability.
Beyond Bitcoin: What Could DLT Do?
Forget cryptocurrency speculation for a moment. This resolution highlights how DLT's potential stretches into fundamental areas of governance and rights. It points to possibilities like creating tamper-proof digital identity systems, securing land ownership records (a huge issue in many developing nations), enabling more direct citizen feedback or representation, and generally making government actions more transparent and accountable. The resolution suggests DLT could offer a technical backbone for verifying information and transactions, potentially reducing corruption and inefficiency.
Fighting Fakes and Boosting Aid
Two key areas emphasized are combating censorship and improving aid delivery. The resolution notes DLT's decentralized nature—where information isn't held in one central place—could offer innovative ways to protect free expression online and bypass censorship attempts. Imagine platforms built on DLT that are harder for authoritarian regimes to shut down. Furthermore, it suggests DLT could revolutionize humanitarian aid by enabling direct cash transfers to recipients, tracking supplies transparently, cutting out intermediaries, and reducing the potential for funds to go missing. The goal is faster, cheaper, and more accountable help.
The Homework: Research, Rules, and Realism
The resolution isn't just wishful thinking; it directs U.S. agencies to actively engage with tech experts, civil society groups, and international partners to figure out practical uses for DLT. It also stresses the need for the U.S. to lead in developing ethical guidelines and policies. This includes promoting sustainability (some blockchains use a lot of energy), ensuring accessibility so the tech doesn't create new divides, and importantly, figuring out how to prevent misuse by bad actors. It calls for more research and investment, framing DLT as a potential tool for public good. While the potential benefits are clear, making this tech work effectively and ethically in complex real-world situations—from securing votes to delivering aid—will require careful planning and realistic expectations.