Mark McCarthy joined UN Peacekeeping’s New York headquarters in February as the Senior Data Officer for the Digital Enablement Team (DET). The team is tasked with implementing the Strategy for the Digital Transformation of UN Peacekeeping (DTS), which will help peacekeeping missions leverage innovation, data and digital technologies more effectively deliver their mandates and to help keep peacekeepers safe. In this story, Mark shares his perspective on why data is needed to help peacekeeping missions meet growing threats to their safety and to the communities they are working to protect in environments that are increasingly volatile, dangerous, and technologically enabled.
Fighting fire with fire
“Data and analysis make you more effective and more efficient. If we believe that's true, then we have to take notice that bad actors who are using data are becoming more effective and more efficient. I've seen some advanced data visualizations from terrorist groups. There is a risk that if we cannot effectively leverage data in peacekeeping, we will be overshadowed and our impact muted.
We have to react to the modernization of spoilers. What we do should outclass anything they can do.”
Empowering missions through data
“The DTS sets out how we are going to modernize [our operations] to protect our peacekeepers and deliver our mandates. I’m focused on helping missions gather and analyze data to inform their [work], because there is no early warning, no prevention of threats to populations and peacekeepers without information.
We have to be able to answer questions like where is harm is happening? How often? What's the cause? Who’s involved? Then we can take informed action. If we can see a negative trend, we can work to change the direction of the story.”
Data challenges in peacekeeping environments
“Peacekeepers operate in very volatile environments that make it difficult to collect and use data. There can be active conflict, or a lack of basics like connectivity and power. If information goes to the wrong person or is taken out of context, people can be put in harm's way. On top of that, UN troops often rotate on six-month cycles and may not have the time to learn complex new technology. And we’re a multinational entity – people come with different perspectives, which is the most beautiful thing about the UN, but it also makes it hard to capture data consistently.
All this means we have to collect data in a way that is light and efficient for the people on the ground. It has to work with or without connectivity. It has to be secure. And whatever we do, it has to be intuitive, it has to be simple and transferable from one rotation to another.”
What’s next
“We need to make sure good information gets from point A to point B seamlessly, without putting extra burden on peacekeepers. We need to give colleagues tools to be more efficient in their specific roles. And we need to ensure the right people have access to the right data, and that the data is visualized efficiently– not in a giant, 40-page document – so that it can be actioned.
We’ve identified five areas to focus on: Data Discovery and Mapping, to identify and organize data resources; Data Governance, to establish policies and standards that make missions feel confident using and sharing their data; Use-case Exploration, to identify practical applications for data in missions; the Peace and Security Data Hub, which acts as a valuable medium for delivery of peacekeeping data; and Data Teams Development, which will push to establish teams of data experts to expand the use of data in missions.
We have the vision. Now it's time to get out there and start implementing it."
This story is part of the “People for Peace” story series. More than two million peacekeepers have worked for peace under the UN flag, and they are not alone in their efforts: peacekeeping is powered by strong and diverse partnerships. In this series, we bring you the voices of peacekeepers and their partners across the world.
Learn more about the DET and their work on the digital transformation of peacekeeping here >>.
