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TD 042

/ INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION
TELECOMMUNICATION STANDARDIZATION SECTOR
STUDY PERIOD 2017-2020 / TD 042
TSAG
Original: English
Question(s): / N/A / Geneva, 1-4 May 2017
TD
(Ref.: SG17 - LS 14 -E)
Source: / ITU-T Study Group 17
Title: / LS on proposal for establishment of Focus Group on Blockchain [from ITU-T SG17]
LIAISON STATEMENT
For action to: / TSAG
For comment to: / -
For information to: / ITU-T SG2, SG3, SG5, SG9, SG11, SG12, SG13, SG15, SG16, SG20
Approval: / ITU-T SG17 Meeting (Geneva, 30 March 2017)
Deadline: / 30 June 2017
Contact: / Heung Youl Youm
SG 17 Chairman / E-mail:

A new liaison statement has been received from SG17.

This liaison statement follows and the original file can be downloaded from the ITU ftp server at

/ INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION
TELECOMMUNICATION
STANDARDIZATION SECTOR
STUDY PERIOD 2017-2020 / SG17 – LS 14
Original: English
Question(s): / All/17 / Geneva, 22-30 March 2017
Ref: TD 0277 (PLEN/17)
Source: / ITU-T Study Group 17
Title: / LS on proposal for establishment of Focus Group on Blockchain
LIAISON STATEMENT
For action to: / TSAG
For comment to: / -
For information to: / ITU-T SGs2, 3, 5, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 20
Approval: / ITU-T SG17 Meeting (Geneva, 30 March 2017)
Deadline: / 30 June 2017
Contact: / Heung Youl Youm
SG 17 Chairman / E-mail:
Keywords: / Blockchain; Focus Group
Abstract: / ITU-T SG 17 proposes that TSAG consider the establishment of a Focus Group on Blockchain under the auspices of TSAG.

ITU-T Study Group 17 held a successful ITU workshop on “Security Aspects of Blockchain” on March 21, 2017. It has been widely recognized thatBlockchain is an emerging technology with great potentials to enable innovative financial/non-financial decentralized applications that eliminate the need for thirdparty intermediaries, such as identity management, credit management, distrusted/public/shared ledger, crowd funding, P2P insurance, smart contracts, supply chain management, online voting, medical records etc.

Recognizing the crosscutting nature of Blockchain technology, and recognizing that other ITU-T Study Groups have already considered work items and studies within their purview, SG 17 proposes that TSAG consider the establishment of a Focus Group on “Blockchain” under the auspices of TSAG.

Similar to the successful outcome of the FG DFS, such a Focus Group could provide for a comprehensive analysis of Blockchain across multiple verticals, applications and services, including the role of ITU-T in standardization. Such approach would also allow the participation fromexternal experts that do not normally contribute tothe ITU-T Study Groups.

A Focus Group on Blockchain, as proposed under the auspices of TSAG, could address a number of crosscutting topics of Blockchain technology, such as Blockchain use-cases and applications, network requirements for the implementation of Blockchain, regulatory and policy aspects, securityassessment oftechnologies and implementations of Blockchain, Blockchain as a security service, PII (Personally Identifiable Information) protection aspects of Blockchain, among many other aspects.

Recognizing that the FG DFS published a report on the Distributed Ledger Technologies and Financial Inclusion, a Focus Group on Blockchain could also consider this report, as well as the implementation of WTSA-16 Resolution 89 (Hammamet, 2016), taking into account the resolve 2 of this WTSA-16 Resolution.

SG17 suggests that TSAG consider the establishment of a Focus Group on Blockchain, which would increase the visibility of the ITU-T, and enhance the ongoing work of the associated Study Groups. This would also allow the TSB to invite a qualified expert from industry to lead this crosscutting effort.

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