Technologies for UN Peacekeeping
PeaceTech eSeminar
1 February 2017
Dr. Walter DornCanadian Forces College &
Royal Military College of Canada
“Concern for man himself and his fate
[humanity and its fate] should be the
chief interest of all technical endeavors.
Never forget this in the midst of your
diagrams and equations.”
– Albert Einstein
Humanity’s concern for humanity
Save lives and prevent suffering
UN: collective eyes and ears, legs and arms
Needed during and post-conflict
UN Peace Operations
Mandates: monitoring and more
– Cease-fires
– Peace agreements
– Protected areas and persons (POC)
– Elections
– Human rights
– Sanctions
– Armed groups and spoilers (early warning)
– Resource exploitation
– Safety & security of UN personnel (dilemma)
“A MONITORING GAP”
Traditional peacekeeping
• The Human Eye ... sometimes aided by binoculars
Problems of Unaided Monitoring
Limited capabilities ...
– over large areas
– at night
– for underground detection
– in remote/difficult terrain
– information recording, analyzing, sharing and
storage
Monitoring Technology
• Increases range and accuracy of observation
• Permits continuous monitoring
• Increases effectiveness (including cost-effectiveness
in some cases)
• Decreases intrusiveness
• Enhances safety of staff in field
• Provides recordings/evidence
AM
FM
HFVHFUHF
ShortwaveCell
phone
0.4 μm 0.7 μm
IRUVX-Ray Microwave Radio
Ha
rd
So
ft
Wi-Fi
Wavelength (m)
Frequency (Hz)
1021 1020 1019 1018 1017 1016 1015 1014 1013 1012 1011 1010 109 108 107 106
10-13 10-12 10-11 10-10 10-9 10-8 10-7 10-6 10-5 10-4 10-3 10-2 10-1 100 101 102 103
RadarNear
IRThermal
IR
-Rayɣ
HF
© W.Dorn
ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM
• US will help the UN “by identifying state-of-the-art technology.”– Pres. Obama, September 28, 2015
• US will “become a leading ‘technology contributing country’ to UN peace operations by assisting the UN, regional organizations, TCCs, and PCCs to integrate technologies into missions in critical areas such as basing and logistics, force protection, and information-led operations”– Factsheet, The White House, September 28, 2015
Commercial Trends
Amazing!
• Better, cheaper, smaller • Converging (one device / many functions)
– Smartphone: phone, messaging, GIS, internet, touchscreen, innovative apps; Two cameras/video, GPS (satellite)
– Sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer (compass), multiple radios, barometer
• Versatile– Adaptable (time, space)
• Commercialized– Military to widespread civilian (COTS)– Even toys!
Participatory Peacekeeping
• Cell phone revolution
• Social media & crowdsourcing – Info gathering & dissemination
• Crisis mapping
• “Protection through Connection”
• “Coalition of the Connected”
Ceasefire/peace monitoring: A layered approach
Population and Parties(crowdsourcing and stakeholder inputs)
Verification technology (Vertech)
Int.observers
Locally-hiredobservers
All Sources Information Fusion Unit (ASIFU)
Forum (dispute resolution mechanism)
“Coalition of the connected”
“Protection through connection”
Technological progress:
Aerial Observation
First UN UAV – December 2013
Falco UAV from Selex ES (Italy) under contract to UNGoma, DRC
Rooivalk AH
C.A.R.
“Greening the Blue”
GROUND OBSERVATION
SENSORS (ATTENDED/HANDS ON)
Reconnaissance Vehicles
• 3.0 MP resolution
• Motion activated
• Wildlife, trespassers
• Day/night
• 35 night LED illuminators
• 10 m nighttime range
• 0.3 s image after motion detected (1.5 s in sleepmode)
~$100
Infrared camera
TruthCam 35
GROUND SENSORS(UNATTENDED)
• Two audio channels
• Handle and clip for portability
• 49 MHz signal
• 600 ft. range
• Vibration and visual sound levels
• Low battery signal
Price range: $60
Acoustic (baby) monitors
Graco audio monitors
• Hundreds of free feeds
• Cheap to setup, free to view
• Some remotely controlled by
viewer
• Sound and maps available
Price: Internet connection + Webcam ($100)
Webcams
Technology
Conclusions
1. No technological fix … but technology can be of
immense value in monitoring, preventing and
mitigating conflict.
2. Technical monitoring can increase the safety and
security of peacekeepers as well as the effectiveness
of the mission.
3. UN lacks the equipment, resources, preparation/training needed for
effective and efficient use of modern
monitoring technology
• some monitoring technologies in some missions but ad hoc and unsystematic– radars
– NVE (Gen 2+)
• no thermal imagers, seismic or acoustic ground sensors
• platforms: recce vehicles and aircraft
• absence of policies, doctrine, SOPs and training materials
• need to re-engage capable contributors
4. UN is capable of incorporating advanced technologies
• Communications and information technology
• Carlog
• GIS progress
– Commercial satellite imagery
• Aerial recce in DRC
• Convergence
– Technologies
– Toys
• Miniaturization
• Innovation
• Robustness
• Cheaper
5. COTS is advancing fast … to the rescue
• Many peacekeeping applications
• Panel on Technology and Innovation in UN Peacekeeping
• USG assistance
• Technology contributing countries
6. UN is making progress
News (much delayed): Canada re-engages in peacekeeping in Africa
IF THIS TECHNOLOGY-AIDED
PRESENTATION DIDN’T WORK …
FORGET EVERYTHING I SAID!
UN experience