This story was written by Mark McCarthy (right) and Parham Kouloubandi (left), from UN Peacekeeping’s Digital Enablement Team. Mr. McCarthy is a Senior Data Officer with working on the digital transformation of peacekeeping. Mr. Kouloubandi is an Associate Expert, with experience promoting digital innovation through data and artificial intelligence.
Peacekeeping missions operate in diverse environments with varying mandates, making every mission distinct, but all share a need for data. It gives peacekeepers critical insights about their operating environments and the impact their work is having, letting them more safely and effectively advance peace and security goals for the communities they serve.
However, collecting and leveraging reliable data requires managing and analysing a flood of information. When missions do not have the capacity to do this, data remains unused and opportunities to inform and strengthen operations are missed.
This is why UN peacekeeping has been implementing a strategy for digital transformation, with help from member states. Efforts are bearing fruit - in terms of both effectiveness and efficiency – and need to be expanded. The peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is a case in point, where investments in digital tools are making an impact.
Detecting crises early
One example is its Flood Management Dashboard, created after devastating floods hit South Sudan in 2024, impacting more than 700,000 people and worsening conflict over land and resources. UNMISS’ Senior Climate and Security Advisor Johnson Nkem knew that data on flooding could improve UNMISS’s ability to understand flood damages and get early warning of areas at high risk of conflict, helping to prevent tensions before they arise.
He asked his team to develop a dashboard. This meant creating a database, establishing a baseline to be able to see disruptions, and developing a system to track how floods impact communities.
The dashboard is now informing decision-making and enabling targeted conflict prevention measures. For example, the mission can organise peace dialogues in areas identified as high-risk, to help prevent conflict from emerging between “host” communities and communities displaced by the flooding. They can also more efficiently target resources to communities in need. “Given the positive impact the dashboard is already having, the team plans to add more data to broaden its usage beyond flooding.
Streamlining peacekeeping missions
Data is also helping UNMISS streamline their work. For example, UNMISS’s Political Affairs Division recognised that by digitising reporting and document management, they could reduce the time required for many tasks and make information more easily accessible. Since this would require building capacity across a diverse workforce, they took an inclusive and tailored approach to introduce digitisation.
“It's necessary to work closely with colleagues to help them adopt the tools,” Guy Bennett, the Division’s Chief explained. The team focused on quick-wins and assisting staff throughout. The solutions were mostly simple but useful in enhancing efficiency and facilitating access to data and reports: SharePoint for structured document management, MS Forms to record meetings and Excel for standardised reporting. They showed that digital transformation is not about elaborate solutions and big changes, but leveraging existing resources where useful to assist staff. “Having buy-in from senior management is also essential,” said Bennett. “It underlines that efforts are not a short-term project but strategic.”
UNMISS experience shows the benefits that data and digitisation can have. It requires investments that pay off, by helping missions to take preventive action that can protect lives, better leverage information and save staff time, letting them focus on more critical tasks. The advantages are clear.
Given the rising challenges peacekeeping faces, with increasingly complex missions under scarcer resources, investment in data is more critical than ever. Member States can help missions face these challenges by supporting digitisation efforts and the recruiting of data specialists, including at the upcoming Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin. Together, the UN and its Member States can ensure data and technology are enhancing the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations and driving results for the people we serve.