Project Documents and Deliverables

:::info Project Working Document This readme document is a working document for the project. It provides supporting information for project participants, reviewers and viewers. It is not part of the formal project deliverables. :::

Principles

The project design and documentation is based on a number key principles. These were agreed within the project team and presented at the UN/CEFACT Plenary in Geneva in 2025. A simplified version is presented below. Note that item 10 is an additional element to the Geneva presentation and has been added for clarity.

The GTR project

1. Will seek to recognise authoritative registries of UN Member states
2. Will propose a governance framework for a UN CEFACT registry participation process
3. Will define a data model and verification process for existing registry identifiers
4. Will support implementation pilots and guidance
5. Will support key SDGs: Including 9, 12, and 16
6. Will not seek to create [yet another] central registry of all things
7. Will not issue secondary credentials nor issue credentials on behalf of registries
8. Will not disrupt existing business models of nation state registries
9. Will not dictate to nation states what they do, nor how they should do it
10. Will not define yet another standard for identifier(s) to be issued by Registrars

Project Documentation

The documentation is organized into the following sections and has been written with the following audience in mind:

Title	Focus	Primary Audience
Economic Argument	The global economic argument for the GRID and use of the DIA. This includes consideration of an operational GRID funded and operating in a similar fashion to the established ICAO PKD model.	Gov Reps & Economists
Glossary	Definition of terms and acronyms used in the project documentation.	All
GRID Legal Governance & Target Operating Model	The operating and legal framework for the GRID Board, membership eligibility, and formal legal annexes (Indemnity, Immunity, and Dispute Resolution).	Secretariat, Lawyers & Gov Reps
DIA Legal & Data Structure	The DIA "Trust Wrapper" concept (not a new identifier), use patterns, and the legal articles defining functional equivalence and liability.	Regulators & Lawyers
Participating Registrar Data Schema	Standardized metadata for GRID listing and how the GRID design supports the "inclusive maturity model" for participation.	Registrar IT & Data Leads
Implementation Guidelines	Description of how the GRID can be established by UN/CEFACT (or another UN body), how Registrars can join the grid and how the DIA concept can be used by those that choose to use it.	All
Annex A - Technical Reference GRID & DIA	Supporting implementation details that do not belong in the high-level economic argument	Ministers & Economists, Technical Leads
Annex B - ROI Model	Illustrative framework for thinking about fiscal impact and return on investment (ROI) for a UN Member State participating in GRID/DIA	Gov Reps & Economists
Annex C - Economic Argument Research Paper	Detailed research on the economic argument for GRID and the use of the DIA	Economists

Key Highlights

The documentation aims to provide:

• Institutional Oversight: The creation of the GRID Board, composed of UN Member State participants, to oversee the GRID operation and ensure the Technical Operator adheres to UN mandates.

• Formal Legal Safeguards: The inclusion of Formal Legal Clauses addressing UN Privileges and Immunities, Indemnification for the Secretariat, and a defined Dispute Resolution mechanism (UNCITRAL-aligned).

• Eligibility Protocol: A transparent procedure for the admission of "Authoritative Registrars," ensuring that those with a valid statutory mandate can participate in the GRID.

• Agnostic Sovereignty: Explicit protection for the "Sovereign Choice" of UN Member States regarding their internal identifier standards (National Standard, Regional Standard, GS1, ISO, LEI, etc. etc.), ensuring the GRID remains a neutral, trustworthy, registrar maintained reference.