Supporting the implementation of mandated tasks through digital technologies

Ceasefires play an important role in the prevention of further conflict and armed violence. Not only are they a crucial component of the broader conflict-prevention toolkit, but they are often a first step towards a peace agreement. While ceasefire monitoring and verification is usually conducted by in-person monitors, this may not always be possible due to non-permissive environments. In such instances, technology can help overcome these challenges, as well as extend the range of monitoring and the pace of data synthesis.

Despite its potential, the digital revolution has not transformed gender justice. As peace operations venture down the path of digital transformation, they must carefully consider both the potential opportunities and the pitfalls that technology presents, especially taking note of what can be a gendered tool of oppression and continued marginalisation. While technology has the power to enable, it also has the capacity to disempower.

UN Peacekeeping took a major step forward with the adoption of the Strategy for the Digital Transformation of UN Peacekeeping. Embracing a fuller use of new technologies to support mandate implementation and better protect civilians and peacekeepers, now requires innovation, comprehensive and committed action, and principled approaches to mitigate risks.

Quality data are critical for development interventions to be effective but are hard to obtain in fragile contexts. In Anbar/Iraq, the 2020 founded GIZ Data Lab experiment “Data in fragile contexts” explores new ways to utilize alternative data sources in order to better understand contextual realities on the ground and how they correlate with conflict dynamics. 

A shared language among peacekeepers and with the host population is critical. Language training, in particular for listening and speaking, across tens of thousands of peacekeepers seems unworkable. Fortunately, the rapidly falling costs of digital tools, especially involving virtual reality, offer the possibility to do this effectively and at a large scale.

In 2019, UN Secretary-General António Guterres described hate speech as "poison" and a "global danger”. Hate speech impacts international peace operations by undermining mandate implementation, in particular political processes, and tarnishing a mission’s credibility. The "tsunami of hate" that the UN observed in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic once again raised awareness about the digital spread of harmful information and the need for effective countermeasures.

In recent years, peace operations have been under much pressure and scrutiny regarding their effectiveness, funding, coordination and coherence. Training for peace operations is no exception here and most recently has been particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. While the pandemic has severely limited traditional in-person training, it has also opened up opportunities for re-thinking training approaches. To fully take advantage of these opportunities, a stocktaking of delivery capabilities, trainer skills and curricula will have to take place.

Early warning has been a perennial challenge for peacekeeping operations. While there has been some progress in the context of efforts to protect civilians, analyses should be supplemented by a data-driven early warning system to help identify threats and promote early and preventive action. To arrive at predictive peacekeeping, this can be further augmented with machine learning tools. But the UN must address five key challenges when implementing a data-driven early warning system to mitigate possible negative side effects.

Even before the current pandemic, there was a critical need to develop new, digitized and distributed solutions to education and training for peace operations. For the near future, travel restrictions and fiscal constraints will most likely further increase this need. The Norwegian Defence University College (NDUC) has recently developed an innovative, stand-alone e-learning programme on human security and the role of the military, which fills a gap in existing education by answering the critical question of "when to do what" when perpetrators target civilians in armed conflict.

High-paced technological change is having a major impact on society, including how public sector agencies operate and interact with citizens. This creates opportunities as well as an urgent need for international peace operations to revisit the focus of their activities. Now is the time to seize opportunities to support citizen-oriented initiatives that have a sustainable positive impact on societies and thus help maintain peace.

UN peace operations need to employ new technologies to enhance their ability to implement their mandates more effectively. But these technologies will not be fully effective in improving peacekeeper performance, if missions don’t have the right structures, policies, and personnel to manage them. There are four key issues that UN Member States and the UN Secretariat need to tackle to build a foundation for the effective adoption of new technologies.