Next Tech Peacekeeping — Looking Towards the Future
By Lisa M. Buttenheim

United Nations peacekeepers are deployed in some of the most challenging and dangerous environments, doing what others cannot or will not do. It is no secret that we now operate in far more volatile, complex and high-risk environments. Peacekeeping fatalities are at a thirty-year high and we confront uniquely difficult and at times deadly challenges across each of our 14 peacekeeping missions.
We face threats from armed groups, criminals and terrorists, many of whom have access to sophisticated weapons and technology. And the truth is that our peacekeepers are often vulnerable: frequently under-equipped, with major gaps in equipment and training.
To address these challenges and to ensure that we are fit for purpose, UN peacekeeping is exploring all available cutting-edge technologies and best practices that can contribute towards the protection of civilians, UN personnel, and allow for safer and more successful missions. In remote locations where little to no infrastructure exists, we rely on advanced technologies to attain operational efficiency and support peace processes. These include mobile communications centres, unmanned aerial vehicles, sensors and security devices, tethered observational balloons, and advanced analysis software.
This year, UN Field Support and the Government of Germany hosted the 4th international Partnership for Technology in Peacekeeping symposium. The symposium, the only information-sharing conference on field technology organized specifically for the peacekeeping community, aims to strengthen our global partnerships and to identify the latest and most effective technologies that offer life-saving benefits to our operations.

Our latest innovation, a newly designed modular command centre that perfectly exemplifies the cutting edge in peacekeeping field support technologies, was unveiled at this year’s Next Tech Peacekeeping event. Addressing the requirement for a scalable, rapidly deployable and customizable mobile communications solution capable of hosting some of the most sophisticated equipment available, five modular command centres have been built at the United Nations Global Service Centre in Brindisi, Italy. These are the first of what may be a new generation of emergency communications solutions at the United Nations enabling today’s peacekeepers to maintain secure lines in isolated locations where no infrastructure exists.

In such volatile environments, security can quickly deteriorate. Our bases and camps are the target of attacks by armed groups. Direct attacks involving mortar and rocket attacks are increasingly common, as is the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and mines placed on the roads used by our convoys. These tactics aim to destabilise our support to peace processes and prevent the delivery of vital humanitarian assistance.
In response to these threats and to enhance the security of our personnel, we are installing sophisticated information systems in many of our camps that include specialized monitoring equipment to greatly increase our situational awareness. These include day/night sensors, high-definition long-range cameras, and observational ground radar to detect potential attacks on our infrastructure and vehicles. These technologies are essential to the safety of our personnel and partners on the ground.
Peacekeeping is, first and foremost, a partnership. Our collective success depends on every partner playing their role with unwavering commitment. This includes the Security Council, troop and police contributors, regional organizations, host governments and financial contributors who together allow the more than 100,000 UN peacekeepers deployed around the world help protect more than 100 million lives. To do so, our peacekeepers need access to the best technologies, services and support available.
The Partnership for Technology in Peacekeeping offers Member States and our partners a unique opportunity to strengthen their support to UN Peacekeeping through the use of innovative technological capacities that meet the needs of UN peace operations to ensure we have well structured, equipped, and trained Forces ready to tackle their challenging mandates.
Ms. Lisa M. Buttenheim is the Assistant-Secretary General for the United Nations Department of Field Support.
