Standards
What Is UNTP (the UN Transparency Protocol)?
What UNECE's UN Transparency Protocol is, which components it defines and how it relates to the EU's Digital Product Passport standards.
UNTP (the UN Transparency Protocol) is a global, decentralised transparency protocol developed by UNECE. It is not a competitor to the EU's DPP framework but an international template designed to align with it.
Components
| Component | Function |
|---|---|
| Digital Product Passport | Product data as a VC |
| Digital Facility Record | Production facility identity and attributes |
| Digital Traceability Events | EPCIS-derived event records |
| Digital Conformity Credential | Conformity and certificate statements |
| Identity Resolver | ISO/IEC 18975-based identity resolution |
See event-based traceability with EPCIS 2.0 and verifiable credentials.
How it differs from the EU framework
| EU DPP (EN 1821x) | UNTP | |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Legislation (ESPR) | Voluntary protocol |
| Scope | The EU market | Global |
| Central component | EU DPP Registry | None (decentralised) |
| Format | JSON-LD recommended | VC (JSON-LD) native |
| Obligation | By product group | Voluntary |
See the DPP standards guide and the EU DPP Registry guide.
Why it should be on your radar
- Cross-border trade: when similar demands arrive in non-EU markets, UNTP is the likely reference.
- VC-native architecture: it assumes signed, verifiable data sets from the start.
- Facility records: production facility identity is a building block shared by CSDDD, EUDR and the DPP. See CSDDD.
A practical approach
You do not have to implement UNTP today. But while building your architecture:
- Be ready to receive supplier declarations as signed credentials.
- Code facility identities with a standard scheme.
- Be able to generate different serialisations from a canonical model.
See the DPP data model guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is UNTP mandatory?
No, it is a voluntary protocol. Obligations arise only from legislation.
Is UNTP enough for the EU market?
No. The EU market needs the EN 1821x family and the EU DPP Registry. UNTP is a complementary global layer.
Is implementing both hard?
The common ground is wide: both use JSON-LD, VCs and web-based resolution. With a canonical model approach the extra cost stays limited.
