Keeping Watch: Monitoring, Technology and Innovation in UN Peace Operations
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Keeping watch: Monitoring, technology and innovation in UN peace operations A. Walter Dorn © United Nations University, 2011 The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not nec- essarily reflect the views of the United Nations University. United Nations University Press United Nations University, 53-70, Jingumae 5-chome, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8925, Japan Tel: +81-3-5467-1212 Fax: +81-3-3406-7345 E-mail: [email protected] general enquiries: [email protected] http://www.unu.edu United Nations University Office at the United Nations, New York 2 United Nations Plaza, Room DC2-2062, New York, NY 10017, USA Tel: +1-212-963-6387 Fax: +1-212-371-9454 E-mail: [email protected] United Nations University Press is the publishing division of the United Nations University. Cover design by Helen Chilas Cover photographs by (clockwise from top) UN Photo/Martine Perret; UN Photo/John Isaac; and MCpl Danielle Bernier, DGPA/J5PA Combat Camera, National Defence (reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Public Works and Government Services, Canada, 2010) Printed in the United States of America ISBN 978-92-808-1198-8 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Dorn, A. Walter. Keeping watch : monitoring, technology and innovation in UN peace operations / A. Walter Dorn. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-9280811988 (pbk.) 1. United Nations—Peacekeeping forces. 2. Peace-building—Technological innovations. I. Title. JZ4971. D67 2011 341.5'84—dc23 2011021070 To those who gave their lives in the service of peace while on mission for the United Nations. When we improve upon their efforts to secure the peace, we honour their sacrifice. Endorsements “In Keeping Watch, Walter Dorn makes a persuasive case for bringing the technology of UN peacekeeping into the 21st century – and not a decade too soon, because the time-honored approach of throwing ill- equipped troops at unstable places just is not working. With a unique mix of substantive and technical expertise, Dorn demonstrates how dozens of existing and emergent technologies – from thermal imaging to crowd- sourcing – could be vital force multipliers for peacekeepers, who can’t keep the peace if they don’t know the score. Anyone with an interest in peacekeeping should own this book and use it.” William Durch, Director of the Future of Peace Operations Program, Stimson Center “As the senior editor of the international journal Intelligence and Na- tional Security, whenever I receive a manuscript on the subject of intelli- gence and international organizations, A. Walter Dorn is the first reviewer I turn to for help in evaluating the submission. In Keeping Watch, his deep knowledge is on display. This book is chock full of fascinating charts, tables, drawings, and photographs to accompany Dorn’s signature careful analysis and flashes of original insight. He demonstrates in lucid prose how technology can be highly useful in monitoring, mitigating, and pre- venting international conflict. Here is a study that should be standard fare in every university course on international conflict and cooperation – indeed, one that citizens everywhere would benefit from reading.” Loch K. Johnson, Regents Professor, University of Georgia Endorsements vii “Walter Dorn is one of the most thoughtful and knowledgeable analysts of peacekeeping and security policy, and this book makes an important contribution to a field that needs far more public discussion.” Bob Rae, Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and Liberal Foreign Affairs Critic in Canada’s House of Commons “Dr. Walter Dorn is the ‘dean’ of the peace intelligence scholars, having both founded and nurtured the field since his seminal work on UN intel- ligence successes in the Congo. This book covers the technical side of UN intelligence, and complements work on harnessing distributed human in- telligence. From the Brahimi Report to the High Level Panels on Threats and on System-Wide Coherence, there has been a pattern of ‘emerging intelligence’. This book is the newest contribution – an absolutely essen- tial, practical, and inspiring contribution to help create a prosperous world at peace.” Robert David Steele, CEO, Earth Intelligence Network “The engagement of the United Nations in peacekeeping has increased rapidly over the past decade. In the search for ways to enhance UN operations, the UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations in 2006 requested a study on how technical monitoring and surveillance can be used to ensure the safety and security of United Nations peace- keeping personnel and improve the operational effectiveness of peace- keeping missions. Dr. Walter Dorn, engaged by the UN’s Department of Peacekeeping Op- erations as an independent expert, conducted research and came up with findings which successfully laid the grounds for further development of the idea of monitoring technology in UN peacekeeping. He continued to assist DPKO in establishing an action plan to systematize the knowledge, identify priorities, implement the proposed solutions and set the way forward, in close cooperation with member states. Dr. Dorn’s work was welcomed by the Special Committee. It helped the United Nations understand and appreciate the usefulness of modern technology in peacekeeping. What is also important is that it helped to overcome a psychological barrier which hindered efforts to bring these capabilities into the UN peacekeeping effort. The book Keeping Watch expands on the author’s Tools of the Trade? report to the Special Committee and his other papers on the subject. It provides a very interesting insight into UN peacekeeping operations from the perspective of the possible use of modern technology. It helps the viii Endorsements reader understand, for example, the issues that need to be considered when using technology such as unmanned aerial vehicles. This book will be a beacon for the use of modern technology in peacekeeping opera- tions at a time when the UN seeks to overcome the complex challenges it faces in the field.” Zbigniew Szlek, Senior Military Adviser, Permanent Mission of Poland to the United Nations Contents Figures. xi Tables. xii Abbreviations. xiv Foreword. xvii Lieutenant-General The Hon. Roméo A. Dallaire (Retired) Preface. xix Acknowledgements . xxiii 1 Introduction: Technology for peace. 1 2 The evolution of peace operations. 8 3 Monitoring: The constant need. 20 4 Survey of monitoring technologies. 32 5 Aerial surveillance: Eyes in the sky. 62 6 Traditional peacekeeping: Cases. 77 x Contents 7 Multidimensional peace operations: Cases. 108 8 Current UN standards: Starting from near zero. 154 9 Challenges and problems. 176 10 Recommendations . 192 11 Conclusions. 205 Appendices . 211 1 United Nations peacekeeping operations, 1948–2010, organized into four categories. 213 2 Special Committee on Peacekeeping (C34) annual reports: Excerpts on monitoring and surveillance technology . 225 3 Possible sensing technologies for peacekeeping. 229 4 Summary of the benefits of various monitoring technologies . 232 5 Summary of current and potential monitoring technologies in UN peacekeeping. 235 6 Unattended ground sensors: Summary of a survey. 239 7 Bibliography on monitoring technology for UN operations. 241 References. 243 Index. 255 Figures 2.1 Missions administered by the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations. 9 2.2 The number of uniformed personnel in UN peacekeeping since 1991. 14 4.1 Composite diagram showing potential sensors and platforms for peacekeeping. 33 4.2 The dramatic increase in cell phone usage over one decade in both the developed and the developing world. 51 4.3 Map of crowdsourced incident reports of trapped persons in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, after the January 2010 earthquake. 53 7.1 Locations within Africa of Darfur (Sudan) and the DRC, where the two largest UN missions are operating . 109 7.2 Map showing the Kivu provinces on the eastern border of the DRC and the neighbouring countries . 121 7.3 Mi-35 helicopter gunship used in robust peacekeeping. 128 7.4 The pod containing the FLIR camera, attached to a Chilean helicopter in MINUSTAH. 138 7.5 Ground sensor (“Improved REMBASS”) system components. 146 xi Tables 2.1 From Cold War to hot wars: Different types of conflict and peace operation. 12 2.2 Four types or “generations” of UN peace operation. 16 3.1 Fatalities in UN peace operations . 22 4.1 The evolution of commercial video cameras . 40 5.1 UAV types and characteristics. 69 5.2 Rotary-wing UAV characteristics. 72 5.3 Comparing different types of aerospace surveillance platform. 74 6.1 UNTSO investigations: Major examples from 1954/55. 80 6.2 Technologies employed by the Multinational Force and Observers. 92 6.3 Cost estimates for manned versus unmanned observation posts. 98 7.1 UNAMID in numbers. 111 7.2 Surveillance asset requirements of MONUC. 126 7.3 Cameras and other equipment sought by MINUSTAH. 139 7.4 NATO bodies mandated to enhance military technology. 148 8.1 Equipment shortfalls: Top 10 of the 25 categories. 160 8.2 Contingent-Owned Equipment: Self-sustainment standards and rates (per person) for the observation and identification categories. 161 8.3 Major observation equipment listed in the COE Manual . 162 8.4 Summary of monitoring technologies. 166 xii tables xiii 8.5 Low–medium-cost surveillance technology shortfalls, as identified by the field missions. 169 A1.1 Observer missions. 214 A1.2 Interposed forces . 217 A1.3 Multidimensional operations . 219 A1.4 Transitional administrations. 224 A3.1 Possible sensing technologies for peacekeeping.