Enhancing situational awareness and mission protection through digital technologies

Situational awareness is essential for self-protection, but also for mandate implementation, especially when it comes to a peace operation’s remit to protect civilian populations. Digital technologies allow more systematic capture and processing of large amounts of data on the basis of which well-founded conclusions might be drawn. In the best case, data can help to fill information gaps on the peace operation’s environment and identify patterns or trends related to the conflict dynamics. Technical solutions for collating information from a variety of sources are being rolled out. While these mechanisms and tools are a major step forward towards a fuller understanding of the conflict environment and more targeted mandate implementation, they remain dependent on technical and analytical capacities and on the input provided. (Image: UN Photo | Pasqual Gorriz)