UNJSPF Digital Certificate of Entitlement

The UNJSPF “Digital Certificate of Entitlement” (DCE) system is a state-of-the-art mobile application (App) and web-based authentication solution that can verify the identity, existence, transactions, and location of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) retirees (about 80,000 individuals located in more than 190 countries), providing a faster, secure, and easier way to meet the requirements for continued benefit payments. The DCE system allows retirees to use their smartphone, tablet, or other personal device to submit an electronic proof of their eligibility, in lieu of paper-based submissions. The solution uses cutting edge biometric/facial recognition, blockchain, AI, and global positioning technologies to confirm the eligibility of retirees. The DCE was developed by UNJSPF with the support of the UN International Computing Center, and piloted in 2020, with retirees from the World Food Programme and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. Its deployment was then fast-tracked in 2021, as a response to the worldwide disruption of postal services caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The DCE introduced innovative processing changes and organizational efficiencies, using a secure and user-friendly design based on new technologies, making it an environmentally friendly solution, which significantly reduced the use of paper, mailings, as well as physical and digital storage. Aligned with the UN Secretary-General’s strategies on “New Technologies” and “UN2.0”, the vision of a digital United Nations, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Digital Compact, the DCE is part of the implementation of the UNJSPF strategy in simplifying client experience and modernizing the Fund’s services. Assurance on the DCE solution is based on independent certifications and audits, including: ISO 42001 Certification on the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence, ISO27001 Certification on Information Security, Ethics Audit, Algorithm Audit, NIST verification of the biometric algorithm. The DCE solution received the: United Nations Secretary-General Award for Innovation and Sustainability, and Government Blockchain Association Award for Social Impact. Furthermore, the DCE solution was the subject of a case study published by Gartner Inc., as an example of digital transformation in the public sector. As of November 2023, over 40 per cent of the UNJSPF retirees’ population has sought enrolment in the UNJSPF/DCE solution. Furthermore, to address potential issues of “digital divide”, UNJSPF recently deployed a new “kiosk version”, extending the ability to use the DCE solution to UN retirees who do not own a computing device. For more information about the UNJSPF Digital Certificate of Entitlement please visit https://www.unjspf.org/newsroom/unjspf-digital-certificate-of-entitlement-wins-the-united-nations-secretary-general-award-for-innovation-and-sustainability