Strategy for the Digital Transformation of UN Peacekeeping

The overarching goal of the strategy is to enable missions to implement their mandates more effectively and to enhance the safety and security of peacekeepers by harnessing the potential of digital technologies as well as mitigating risks, while positioning peacekeeping to continue to evolve in its use of technology. To achieve this, the Strategy builds upon earlier and ongoing targeted initiatives and strategies, in areas such as, peacekeeping-intelligence, performance assessment for planning and decision making, information security or data management, and addresses challenges such as the weaponization of technologies by non-state actors, cyberattacks, misinformation, disinformation and hate speech, and key ethical questions related to the use of digital technologies in UN peacekeeping. At the same time, the Strategy aims to maximize the potential of current and emerging technologies, conceiving of digital technologies as a potential enabler that allows UN peacekeeping to achieve an analysis-driven, forward-looking understanding of the conflict environment, strengthen the safety and security of its personnel, and shape agile and responsive mandate implementation. Setting up peacekeeping for the future requires addressing both cross-cutting and cultural issues, and taking targeted action to support peacekeeping operations in the field. The comprehensive nature of the undertaking suggests that this represents nothing less than a digital transformation of UN peacekeeping.