Coca-Cola has launched a project in partnership with the US Department of State and two other companies using blockchain’s digital ledger technology to create a secure registry for workers.

The secured registry being created, they explained, would help fight forced labour worldwide.

According to the Department of State, it is the government agency’s first major project that will make use of blockchain, for social causes.

It therefore said, it will provide expertise on labour protection.

However, a study by KnowTheChain (KTC) also revealed that Coca-Cola, has committed to conduct a 28 country-level studies on child labour, forced labour, and land rights for its sugar supply chains by 2020.

The US beverage giant said it has been exploring multiple blockchain projects for more than a year.

Brent Wilton, the company’s global head of workplace rights, said their partnership with the project is to increase transparency related to labour policies.

“We are partnering with the pilot of this project to further increase transparency and efficiency of the verification process related to labour policies within our supply chain,” he said.

According to Blockchain Trust Accelerator (BTA), a non-profit organization involved in the project, the new venture is intended to create a secure registry for workers and their contracts using blockchain’s validation and digital notary capability.

“The Department of State is excited to work on this innovative blockchain-based pilot,” Deputy Assistant Secretary Scott Busby said.

He noted that while blockchain cannot compel companies or those in authority to abide by the labour contracts, it can create a validated chain of evidence that will encourage compliance with those contracts.

Bitfury Chief Executive Valery Vavilov and Emercoin Chief Technology Officer Oleg Khovayko indicated that, the blockchain platform for the project will be built by Bitfury Group, a US tech company while Emercoin will provide blockchain services.