JSON-LD Web Vocabulary

other

Project Details

P1111

#2112053#2112054. #2206083, #2206085, #2212017, #2304032, #2304033, #2309068, #2310073

N/AAU, RU, UA, BR

2.0

2021-12-08

2023-1205-0731

20242023-0208-0731

Project Purpose

Traditional document-based message exchange is only one way of integrating data across supply chains.  A number of fast growing alternatives are emerging.

• Web APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) offer a more granular collection of distributed services designed to get data from the source of truth. So, rather than exchange data, just exchange references to the data – for example, given a containerID, then get more details about that container from BIC (https://www.bic-code.org/api-information-page/)
• IoT (internet of things) data streams provide a constantly updated stream of small data snippets from sensors on containers, gates, trucks, etc. So, rather than exchange documents about a thing, susbcribers can consume real time data streams  - for example to get continuous information about the location of a vessel or the temperature in a container.
• DIDs (Decentralised Identifiers) and VCs (Verifiable Credentials) are fast being adopted as a scalable means to attach high integrity digital proof to physical things. For example, a traveller’s covid vaccination certificate, or a supply chain certificate like a certificate of origin or phytosanitary certificate. Rather than being exchanged in a B2B or G2G channel, a VC is issued to a holder (eg a trader) and presented to a verifier (eg a regulator) who can verify authenticity and extract data without contacting the issuer.

 All of these emerging technologies depend on common semantics in order to achieve scalability.  But the semantics are managed as web vocabularies where each term has a specific meaning and can be composed dynamically in any order. In this world, the dictionary is more important than the document.  The most popular syntax for publishing and managing these semantic dictionaries in JSON-LD.  There are already a number of very important web vocabularies in use today.

• Schema.org is the worlds most used JSON-LD vocabulary. It contains hundreds of standard classes, some of which overlap with UN/DEFACT standards (eg https://schema.org/Organization). The full vocabulary is at https://schema.org/version/latest/schemaorg-current-https.jsonld
• GS1 is also publishing their standards as web vocabularies https://www.gs1.org/gs1-web-vocabulary
• IATA is moving quickly to support decentralized information sharing architectures – see https://www.iata.org/contentassets/a1b5532e38bf4d6284c4bf4760646d4e/one_record_tech_insight_decentralized_architecture_with_linked_data.pdf and has already published JSON-LD vocabularies - https://github.com/IATA-Cargo/ONE-Record/tree/master/working_draft/API/json-ld
• Even the W3C has started publishing a supply chain traceability vocabulary to support their DID/VC work for real implementations of verifiable credentials in the supply chain – see the specification here https://w3c-ccg.github.io/traceability-vocab/ and the actual vocabulary here https://w3c-ccg.github.io/traceability-vocab/contexts/traceability-v1.jsonld

UN/CEFACT has perhaps the world’s most mature supply chain vocabulary (CCL and RDMs) and also an outstanding and trusted brand as a standards authority. But we do not publish our semantics in a usable way for modern web use cases.  We risk losing relevance as a standards authority if we continue to focus only on document standards and do not support more modern technologies such as APIs, IoTs, and VCs.  Therefore, the purpose of this project is to catch up with other semantic publishers and re-establish UN/CEFACT as the highest quality and authoritative publisher of supply chain semantic standards by publishing a UN/CEFACT JSON-LD vocabulary that includes all classes, properties, and code sets.

Project Scope

This

project

will

deliver

a

high

quality

JSON-LD

vocabulary

published

to

a

well-known

unece

domain

and

maintained

throughout

the

ongoing

development

of

the

CCL,

RDMs,

and

code

lists.

The

vocabulary

will

be

both

human

readable

and

machine

readable

and

will

support

the

international

community

in

the

development

of

interoperable

APIs,

IoT

streams,

and

Verifiable

Credentials.

In

order

to

support

that

outcome,

the

project

will

deliver

• A

• technical

• specification

• that

• describes

• the

• JSON-LD

• structure

• and

• architecture.

• This

• work

• is

• already

• 90%

• completed

• as

• a

• technical

• guidance

• note

• from

• the

• RDM2API

• project

• –

• please

• refer

• to

• “draft-rdm2api-json-ld-ndr-docx

• at

• https://uncefact.unece.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=43384856

• A

• human

• and

• machine

• readable

• JSON-LD

• vocabulary

• on

• a

• unece

• web

• domain.

• This

• works

• is

• already

• 90%

• completed

• and

• a

• draft

• vocabulary

• is

• available

• at

• https://service.unece.org/trade/uncefact/vocabulary/uncefact/

• (human

• readable)

• and

• https://service.unece.org/trade/uncefact/vocabulary/uncefact.jsonld

• (machine

• readable)

• A

• publishing

• mechanism

• that

• allows

• the

• secretariat

• to

• continue

• to

• easily

• update

• the

• vocabulary

• as

• CCL,

• RDM,

• and

• code

• list

• changes

• happen.

Project Deliverables

The project deliverables are: Project deliverablesExit Criteria☐Policy RecommendationPublic Review logs demonstrating all comments have been satisfactorily resolved;Final document ready for publication.☐Business Requirement Specification☒Technical Specification☐White PaperFinal document ready for publication.☐Green Paper☐Requirement Specification Mapping☐Core Component Business Document Assembly☐Guidelines☐Executive Guide☐Brochure☐Entries/alignment to the Core Component LibraryFinal deliverable ready for publication.☐XML Schema
☐UN/EDIFACT message
☐Internal UN/CEFACT DocumentFinal document ready for Bureau approval.☒Other (specify) 
Deliverable 1: Technical Specification
Deliverable 2: Published & maintained JSON-LD vocabulary 

Exit Criteria

The exit criteria will be:
	• Exit Criteria for Deliv. 1: Public Review logs demonstrating all comments have been satisfactorily resolved; Final document ready for publication.
	• Exit Criteria for Deliv. 2: Final document ready for publication.
	• Exit Criteria for Deliv. 3: Final deliverable ready for publication
	• Exit Criteria for Deliv. 4: Final document ready for Bureau approval. 
	• Exit Criteria for Deliv. 5: Published & maintained JSON-LD vocabulary

Project Team Membership and Required Functional Expertise

Membership is open to UN/CEFACT experts with broad knowledge in the area of: XMLCCL/RDM messageBusiness design and related activitiesSemantics, JSON-LD technology.
In addition, Heads of Delegations may invite technical experts from their constituency to participate in the work.
Experts are expected to contribute to the work based solely on their expertise and to comply with the UN/CEFACT Code of Conduct and Ethics and the policy on Intellectual Property Rights.

Geographical Focus

The geographical focus of the project is global.

Initial Contributions

• RDM2API-JSON-LD

• Vocabulary

• Guidelines

• –

• a

• deliverable

• from

• the

• RDM2API

• project

• can

• be

• re-used

• as

• the

• basis

• for

• the

• technical

• specification

• https://service.unece.org/trade/uncefact/vocabulary/uncefact/

• -

• existing

• published

• draft

• vocabulary

• can

• be

• re-used

• as

• the

• basis

• for

• a

• final

• vocabulary

• publishing

• framework

• UNCEFACT

• Projects

• (unece.org)

• –

• Application

• Programming

• Interface

• Technical

• Specification

• (API

• TechSpec)

Resource Requirements

Meetings Schedule, Standing Agenda & Link 

Meetings are held Wednesdays 10:00–11:00 Central European Time, fortnightly starting January 19th 2022 (i.e. 19/01/2022, 02/02/2022, 16/02/2022...).

The standing agenda is to review open Pull Requests, then open Issues.

A host and a scribe will be appointed at the beginning of each meeting. Meeting minutes will be shared on this repo.

Google Meet link: https://meet.google.com/mga-zknx-ofb

Phone dial in: https://tel.meet/mga-zknx-ofb?pin=6104012882984 PIN: ‪245 729 010‬#

Project Proposal Files