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United Nations Transparency Protocol (UNTP) – Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ addresses common questions and misconceptions about the United Nations Traceability Protocol (UNTP) — focusing on its unique characteristics, development methodology, and safeguards against misuse. For technical or architectural documentation, please refer to the official UNTP specification.

General Background – Purpose and Positioning​

Is UNTP free to use?​

Yes, the UNTP intellectual property is owned by the United Nations and is provided free of charge for use by anyone. Furthermore, any party may modify the UNTP for their own purposes. However if you want to create a formal and registered UNTP extension then you must follow the extension methodology and governance rules.

Is UNTP a platform?​

No. The UNTP is not a digital platform or service. It is a global, open-source traceability framework developed under the United Nations system to support transparent, interoperable, and credible supply chain data sharing — especially around sustainability claims.

What is the current gap that the UNTP is trying to fill?​

The UNTP addresses a critical gap in global supply chains, including the lack of a neutral, interoperable, and verifiable way to share sustainability-related product data across systems, sectors and borders.

While many traceability and certification schemes already exist, they are often limited to one sector or country; do not provide sufficient transparency about the criteria or verification processes; use different data models or definitions; or are vulnerable to greenwashing to due inconsistent assurance mechanisms.

The UNTP fills this gap by offering a public-good framework, developed under the UN, that provides:

  • A shared language for sustainability claims (via the Sustainability Vocabulary Catalogue (SVC)).
  • A neutral trust model (aligned with ISO CASCO) for verifying those claims.
  • A decentralized, credential-based architecture that allows product data to travel with the item, independent of specific platforms.
  • Tools for mapping, aligning, and integrating diverse schemes and systems without replacing them.

In essence, UNTP aims to link credible data, independent verification and global interoperability, so that sustainability claims can be trusted, compared and acted upon at scale.

How does the UNTP create value for brands and manufacturers?​

Brands and manufacturers use the UNTP to meet growing sustainability expectations — from both regulators and consumers — while reducing operational complexity. The UNTP helps by:

  • Reducing integration costs through open-source, standards-based traceability components.
  • Enabling clear, verifiable, and credible product claims with tools like the Sustainability Vocabulary Catalogue (SVC) and Digital Conformity Credential (DCC).
  • Lowering the risk of greenwashing by ensuring performance claims are specific and traceable to recognized criteria.
  • Supporting comparability across sustainability schemes via a shared ESG taxonomy.

With the UNTP, brands gain more reliable and transparent value chain data, allowing them to scale responsible sourcing and sustainability reporting efficiently.

What value does the UNTP offer to upstream suppliers and producers?​

Upstream suppliers and producers — especially small and medium enterprises — often face data overload, high compliance costs, and limited visibility. The UNTP levels the playing field by:

  • Making it easier to share data once and use it many times across systems and buyers.
  • Supporting credible sustainability claims through standardized vocabulary and digital credentials.
  • Helping them demonstrate compliance with buyer or regulatory requirements using globally recognized conformity tools.
  • Providing a path to engage in international markets without needing custom or proprietary systems.

By using the UNTP, suppliers can increase trust, reduce duplicative audits, and participate more fully in high-value, sustainability-focused supply chains.

How does the UNTP support software providers and digital platform developers?​

The UNTP provides a robust, open-source foundation that allows software providers to build scalable, standards-based solutions for traceability and sustainability. It offers:

  • Open-source tools and standardized APIs to reduce the time and cost of developing traceability features.
  • A modular architecture that integrates easily across systems, sectors, and geographies.
  • A decentralized credential model, where sustainability data travels with the product, not just through direct system-to-system links.
  • Tools like the Sustainability Vocabulary Catalogue (SVC) and the Digital Conformity Credential (DCC), which standardize and verify sustainability claims.
  • Alignment with globally recognized trust frameworks (like ISO CASCO), increasing credibility and market compatibility.

By using UNTP components, software providers can offer clients interoperable, future-proof systems without relying on proprietary lock-ins.

How does the UNTP support governments and public regulatory bodies?​

Governments benefit from the UNTP as a neutral, globally aligned infrastructure that supports policy enforcement, trade facilitation, and sustainable development goals. It contributes by:

  • Offering a UN-governed, non-proprietary framework for interoperability across national and international systems.
  • Reducing regulatory fragmentation through shared vocabularies and reference taxonomies.
  • Supporting transparency and accountability in sustainability claims across borders.
  • Allowing for alignment with national conformity assessment systems through its CASCO-based trust framework.

In essence, the UNTP helps public authorities ensure that sustainability data is credible, comparable, and actionable — without forcing alignment with any single proprietary or national model.

What makes the UNTP different from other traceability initiatives?​

Unlike many private or national initiatives, the UNTP:

  • Is governed multilaterally under the United Nations
  • Is openly available and free to adopt
  • Uses globally recognized standards
  • Is designed to complement, not replace, existing systems

Its purpose is to serve as a global reference framework for credible traceability — not as a competing commercial platform.

Is the UNTP intended as the only implementation option?​

No. The UNTP is a reference implementation, not an exclusive or mandatory one. It offers a practical example of how traceability standards can be operationalized using a neutral, public infrastructure. Policymakers, industries, and technical bodies remain free to use or adapt alternative approaches.

Is the UNTP owned or controlled by a private company or government?​

No. The UNTP is developed under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), supported by the UN Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) framework, and with contributions from public agencies, international organizations, technical experts, civil society and industry actors. It is governed by open, inclusive processes to ensure neutrality and accountability.

Is the UNTP trying to replace national or private traceability systems?​

Not at all. The UNTP is built for interoperability. It is designed to work alongside existing systems — whether national, private, or sectoral — and improve how they communicate, not replace them.

Does referencing the UNTP compromise technology neutrality?​

No. The UNTP is not a product or a vendor solution — it is a neutral, open-source, and standards-based framework developed under a multilateral UN process. It does not prescribe any specific technology or implementation approach. Instead, it offers a voluntary and interoperable structure that can be adapted or extended to meet various technical and regulatory needs.

Does the UNTP lead to vendor lock-in?​

No. The UNTP is licensed for unrestricted public use and is designed to be vendor-agnostic. Anyone — including governments, open-source communities, or private actors — can implement or extend it without licensing fees or exclusive control. Its design explicitly avoids dependencies on proprietary technologies.

Governance and Development Process​

How is the UNTP developed?​

The UNTP is developed through a transparent, iterative, and field-tested process under the UN/CEFACT Open Development Procedure, which includes:

  • Field-testing in global value chains (e.g., fashion, agriculture)
  • Collaboration with UN/CEFACT and national governments
  • Public documentation and open-source contributions

It has been piloted in real-world supply chains and continues to evolve based on feedback. While no single model is universally complete, the UNTP offers a well-documented and extensible baseline for organizations seeking credible traceability infrastructure.

Was the development of the UNTP inclusive of diverse stakeholders?​

Yes. Under the UN/CEFACT Open Development Process, governments, technical experts, international organizations, and civil society contribute to the development of the UNTP. The protocol remains open to ongoing contributions via public comment, pilot feedback, and expert engagement.

How is the UNTP aligning with other standard-setting bodies?​

The UNTP actively seeks complementarity and alignment with existing standards such as those developed by ISO, ITU, and GS1. Its structure allows for easy mapping to external data models and certification frameworks. Dialogue and cooperation with standards bodies are part of its ongoing evolution.

Will future changes to the UNTP include member State input?​

Yes. Any updates or formal adoption into recommendations are subject to UN/CEFACT procedures, which prioritize consensus and member State engagement. National authorities play an essential role in shaping normative texts and implementation pathways.

Why was the UNTP project migrated from GitHub to GitLab?​

To ensure inclusive global participation and avoid access restrictions linked to proprietary or country-controlled platforms. GitLab allows all contributors to engage under UN-managed governance.

Interoperability and Integration​

How does the UNTP support system integration?​

The UNTP enables interoperability through:

  • Standardized data models and APIs
  • Semantic vocabularies for consistent understanding of terms
  • Linkages with identifiers, certifications, and customs processes

This makes it easier for different systems to exchange verified traceability data.

How does the UNTP differ from systems like Gaia-X?​

While systems like Gaia-X rely on federated, direct API connections, the UNTP uses a credential-based model. Information travels with the product, rather than through fixed system-to-system links — much like a passport system, allowing data to be portable and verifiable across different networks.

Digital Product Passports​

Can I issue a UNTP DPP for a product I haven't made yet?​

Yes, one can can issue batch/item DPP a short time in advance so long as there is confidence in the identifiers and the claims for that batch. One can issue a model DPP well in advance of any DPPs that are batch/ item specific.

Can I add late arriving information?​

Eg I issued the DPP but then I just got my deforestation certificate and want to add a claim to already issued DPPs. This is a case of publishing an updated version that superseeds the previous version under the same model or batch/item ID. Here is an example: https://spec-untp-fbb45f.opensource.unicc.org/docs/specification/IdentityResolver#versioned-targets

Can someone else add post-sale information to my DPP such as a repair event?​

In this case it's not an updated DPP because it's not the product manufacturer adding the late arriving data - instead it's the authorised repair facility or verified owner of the thing adding an event to the bundle of data about the thing. Here is how it might be approached https://spec-untp-fbb45f.opensource.unicc.org/docs/specification/DecentralisedAccessControl#decentralised-authentication-workflow

Sustainability and Vocabulary Catalogues​

How does the UNTP help prevent greenwashing?​

The UNTP includes safeguards to ensure that sustainability claims are:

  • Verifiable and backed by trusted sources
  • Clear and machine-readable
  • Traceable to their origin and method of verification

Tools like the Digital Conformity Credential (DCC) and the Sustainability Vocabulary Catalogue (SVC) support consistent, comparable disclosures aligned with international norms.

How does the UNTP promote consistency in sustainability data?​

It offers a shared structure to describe sustainability attributes across products, using recognized environmental and social indicators. This helps align different reporting schemes, making sustainability information more comparable and credible.

What is the UNTP’s position on scheme integrity and trust frameworks?​

The UNTP actively promotes independent, transparent, and trustworthy conformity assessment — particularly in the context of sustainability and environmental claims, where such practices are often inconsistent.

To do this, the UNTP aligns with the well-established ISO CASCO framework, which separates three critical roles:

  • Standards developers (who define the criteria),
  • Conformity assessment bodies (who independently verify claims), and
  • Accreditation authorities (who ensure those verifiers are competent and impartial).

While this model is common in product quality and safety certification, many environmental schemes do not follow this separation of duties. Instead, scheme owners often issue the standard, conduct the audit, and accredit others — all under one roof. This can undermine credibility, even if the criteria are ambitious.

To address this, the UNTP introduces the Digital Conformity Credential (DCC) — a tool designed to help bring environmental and ESG-related claims into the globally trusted CASCO-aligned model. The DCC is being developed by experts with deep experience in conformity systems and is intended to help distinguish between robust schemes and those that rely primarily on self-assertion.

In short, the UNTP does not just focus on what sustainability standards say — it also supports how they are verified, aiming to reduce greenwashing and promote global confidence in sustainability data.

Extension Methodology​

Can the UNTP be adapted for specific sectors or national needs?​

Yes. The UNTP is designed to be:

  • Modular – can be tailored for specific use cases or regulatory settings
  • Scalable – works for both small producers and multinational firms
  • Open – stakeholders can propose extensions through a structured, transparent process.

Can the UNTP support complex or long-life-cycle products?​

Yes. While initial pilots focused on shorter-cycle goods (e.g., textiles, food), the UNTP’s modular structure is adaptable to complex, long-term supply chains such as electronics, machinery, or vehicles. The extension methodology enables custom data attributes, lifecycle documentation, and compliance timelines suited to long-duration product use.

Piloting and Implementing​

Has the UNTP been tested in real-world supply chains?​

Yes. Pilots have been conducted in sectors such as:

  • Textiles and garments
  • Agriculture and food systems
  • Environmental reporting

These pilots validate that the protocol works in diverse contexts.

What sectors can use the UNTP?​

The UNTP is sector-agnostic. It can be adopted across industries where supply chain transparency and sustainability claims matter. Sectors with active interest include fashion, food, construction, and mining.

What are the objectives of extension pilots?​

Example: Critical minerals pilot.

It aims to prove that traceability and transparency in mineral supply chains can be scalable, cost-effective, and interoperable across sectors and systems.

The pilot seeks to validate:

  • Digital verifiability of scheme owners’ claims via UNTP Sustainability Vocabulary Catalogue (SVC).
  • Interoperability across diverse software systems.
  • Cross-sector extension compatibility (e.g., electronics and copper).
  • Compliance with standards like the GBA Battery Passport and EU DPP.
  • Bridging between UNTP and non-UNTP ecosystems (e.g., Catena-X).
  • Cost-benefit effectiveness of the UNTP approach.

Expert and Vendor Participation​

How can organizations contribute to the development of the UNTP?​

Organizations can participate by:

  • Contributing to the open-source codebase or specification
  • Testing and implementing the protocol in their operations
  • Proposing extensions or new vocabulary terms

Participation is open to governments, companies, researchers, and civil society.

How do I become an official UN/CEFACT expert or observer?​

You can apply through the UN/CEFACT expert registration portal, which outlines roles and expectations for active contributors: https://uncefact.unece.org/display/uncefactpublic/UNCEFACT+Expert+Registration

Is there a registry of vendors and systems using the UNTP?​

Yes. A public registry is maintained on this site: