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