The Security Council on Wednesday called for efforts to better protect UN peacekeepers with new technological tools.
In a presidential statement, the Security Council recognizes that technology has the potential to act as a force multiplier by enhancing performance, saving resources, simplifying work processes, and allowing peacekeeping missions to have a deeper understanding of the environments they operate in, through improved collection, analysis and dissemination of data.
Existing and new technologies can support the safety and security of peacekeepers and the protection of civilians, by enabling effective and timely decision-making, including through early warning and response, said the statement.
The Security Council stresses the need to leverage the technological tools available to support greater situational awareness of peacekeeping missions and their front-line peacekeepers through measures to improve information acquisition and analysis capacities, including surveillance and monitoring capacities -- within the limits of their mandate and area of operation and in line with existing UN guidelines and regulations and consistent with international law, said the statement.
The Security Council encourages better integration of existing and new technologies, especially digital technology, to enhance field support, implementation of safety and security, and protection of civilians tasks of Security Council mandates.
It encourages troop- and police-contributing countries and field missions to support field-focused, reliable, and cost-effective technologies that are driven by the practical needs of end-users on the ground, and, in this regard, stresses the need for consultations with member states and host countries, as appropriate.
The Security Council encourages the UN secretary-general to continue to work with member states in exploring available and future technologies and best practices that can contribute to the safety and security of peacekeepers and protection of civilians, and allow for safer and more effective peacekeeping missions, with a focus on technology solutions that are cost-effective and mission appropriate.
