The Commonwealth, a voluntary association of 53 independent and equal sovereign countries, has announced a new project to develop a “blockchain” app to combat cross-border crime. The app will be developed in a joint venture with the Digital Identity Security Company.

Using blockchain technology, the app will create a secure messaging system to help law enforcement and prosecutors in different Commonwealth countries cooperate more effectively on criminal investigations. It will be made available to the Commonwealth Network of Contact Persons (CNCP) – Commonwealth justice officials who provide informal advice on criminal investigations and obtaining evidence abroad.

“This new app has the potential to change the way we cooperate on criminal justice matters and will help reduce serious crime throughout the Commonwealth. It will be particularly useful for combatting cybercrime and other technology-enabled crimes that are borderless by nature,” said Steven Malby, Legal Adviser at the Commonwealth Secretariat and the project lead.

The app will allow a contact in an African member country, for example, to communicate with a contact in the Caribbean or anywhere else in the Commonwealth regarding a request for assistance with a criminal investigation. The identities of contacts will be validated and stored by the app on the blockchain, thereby eliminating the need for a central Commonwealth database. Users will know the identity of all contacts through the app, which will also validate new individuals and automatically distribute their details. The app will enhance understanding of the practical and legal potential of blockchain technologies.

“In today’s world, electronic evidence is an increasingly vital component of almost any investigation – whether for online or offline crime. We have been looking at new ways we can support the CNCP by using emerging technology, and in doing so, we are finding better ways to help member countries to work together in the fight against crime”, he added.

The Commonwealth says that helping member countries to make better use of new technology to facilitate international cooperation in criminal justice matters is its priority. In this context, the organization established the Commonwealth Virtual Currencies Working Group last year, which aims at exploring the opportunities and challenges presented by virtual currencies, such as bitcoin.