CID Speaker Series - Going Cashless: An Opportunity to Accelerate Progress on the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals

Date: 

Friday, October 12, 2018, 12:00pm to 1:00pm

Location: 

Bell Hall - Belfer 5th Floor

Tidhar waldSpeaker: Tidhar Wald, Head of Government Relations and Public Policy, Better Than Cash Alliance, United Nations

About the talk: Billions of dollars in cash payments are made daily in emerging and developing economies, including payment of salaries, social welfare and business transactions. The problem with these cash payments is their lack of transparency, accountability and security. Thanks to technology and connectivity, more people than ever now have access to mobile phones, the internet and cloud-based solutions. How can this digital revolution help us reach the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) more quickly? One way is through moving away from cash. For the nearly two billion people excluded from the formal financial sector, the digitization of payments can open the door to a range of affordable financial services to help them save safely, seize economic opportunities and reduce their vulnerability. But this vision can only be realized if digitization is carried out responsibly and responsively to people’s needs. Come hear how governments all over the world, from India to Kenya, UN agencies from UNHCR to WFP and companies such as H&M or Gap Inc. are shifting from cash to digital payments to achieve transparency, efficiency, reduce corruption, advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.

About the speaker: Tidhar Wald leads the Government Relations and Public Policy teams at the Better Than Cash Alliance, a UN-based partnership of over 60 governments, companies and international organizations that accelerates the global transition from cash to digital payments in order to drive inclusive growth and reduce poverty. At Better Than Cash Alliance, Tidhar oversees the outreach to governments, companies, international organizations and donor governments towards their commitment to digitize payments and work together to build digital economies that are inclusive. Prior to his tenure at the Better Than Cash Alliance, Tidhar held positions in political affairs and government relations for over a decade, including at the United Nations, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and Oxfam International. Tidhar holds a Master of Public Policy and International Affairs from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and a Bachelors in Political Science and History from Sorbonne University in Paris.