Activities of the un missions in the information sector

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Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts

Activities of the un missions in the information sector

Stepko Olexandr, Candidate of Political Science,

Associate Professor of the

Department of International Relations

Анотація

Степко Олександр, кандидат політичних наук, доцент, доцент кафедри міжнародних відносин, Київський національний університет культури і мистецтв

Діяльність місій ООН в інформаційній сфері

У статті висвітлено інформаційну складову операцій ООН з підтримання миру, що є важливим інструментом для досягнення її цілей у сфері забезпечення миру та безпеки. Проаналізовано інформаційне забезпечення операцій ООН з підтримання миру.

Використано загальнонаукові принципи дослідження. При вивченні інформаційних механізмів системи ООН застосовувалися системний і аналітичний методи з притаманними їм аналізом і синтезом. Історичний підхід дозволив простежити еволюцію діяльності ООН у сфері інформаційного забезпечення миротворчості. Комплексне використання різних методів дозволило створити сучасну картину інформаційного забезпечення операцій ООН з підтримання миру.

Підтримання миру є частиною набагато ширших зусиль, яких докладає ООН для справи миру. На всіх цих етапах ефективне використання інформації є життєво необхідним. Без інформаційного забезпечення неможливо досягти основних цілей ООН - воно стає все більш важливим аспектом покращення ефективності миротворчих операцій.

Превентивні кроки повинні ґрунтуватися на своєчасних і точних фактах. Формується нова концепція безпеки, основою якої є захист усього населення і конкретних людей від насильства, породженого усередині держави. Ці задачі змушують ООН коректувати традиційні концепції, і одним з найважливіших аспектів є широке використання інформаційних технологій.

Стратегічний підхід ООН до запобігання конфліктів вимагає більш тісної взаємодії між головними підрозділами, що займаються питаннями миру і безпеки. У зв'язку з цим, вони мають потребу в більш удосконалених інструментах збору й аналізу інформації.

Професійна система для накопичення знань у відношенні конфліктних ситуацій, ефективного поширення цих знань серед широкого кола користувачів, підготовки аналітичних оцінок політики і формулювання довгострокових стратегій створена у вигляді Секретаріату з інформаційно-стратегічного аналізу.

Для операцій ООН з підтримання миру потенціал у сфері суспільної інформації і комунікації в районах місії є оперативною необхідністю, але досвід показує, що такі компоненти в місіях найчастіше недостатньо добре плануються чи їм не надається ефективна підтримка.

Важливою проблемою є планування місій. Поява нового покоління комплексних операцій, для яких властиві політичні, гуманітарні та військові аспекти, потребує більш серйозної координації і взаємодії, та зумовлює необхідність узгодження зусиль різних департаментів і установ. Центральне місце в цьому процесі приділяється Службі планування місій, що виступає як консультаційно-координаційний механізм, і головна ціль якої полягає в передбаченні виникнення кризової ситуації і плануванні вже на ранній стадії, ще до санкції Ради Безпеки.

Упродовж останнього десятиліття ООН неодноразово виявлялася не в змозі ефективно вирішити конфлікт, і сьогодні її потенціал у цій області не підвищився. Негативні результати у багатьох випадках були наслідком того, що засоби, які надавалися в розпорядження Організації, не відповідали вимогам, які пред'являлися до неї.

Значна увага повинна бути приділена більш ефективній координації виконання програм роззброювання, демобілізації та реінтеграції, а для цього життєво необхідним є якнайшвидший збір інформації та її ефективний аналіз.

Дії, пов 'язані з запобіганням кризи, мають на увазі добре інформовану політичну підтримку, що забезпечить постійне інформування ООН про розвиток ситуації та про ключові фактори. Рівень секретаріатської підтримки місій недостатній, тому для покращення діяльності в цій сфері потрібні додаткові зусилля та ресурси.

Доведено, що успіх операцій щодо підтримання миру залежить від здатності ООН забезпечувати єдність цілей різних підрозділів, що дозволить їй діяти узгоджено і використовувати свої ресурси на стратегічно важливих напрямках. Щоб домогтися успіху, ООН повинна зосередити свою увагу на тих аспектах діяльності, що вдаються їй краще інших.

Існує нагальна потреба підвищення ефективності інформаційної структури і практики Організації, для того щоб вона могла краще виконувати свої функції з підтримки миру і безпеки. Нинішні конфлікти мають безліч аспектів, які вимагають всеосяжного підходу і більш погоджених і скоординованих дій, тому механізми обміну інформацією та координації між підрозділами системи ООН повинні бути поліпшені.

Ключові слова: інформаційна діяльність ООН, інформаційне забезпечення, миротворчі операції ООН, Департамент операцій з підтримання миру.

Annotation

The article highlights the information component of UN peacekeeping operations, an important tool for achieving its peace and security goals. The information support of UN peacekeeping operations has been analyzed.

The article uses the general scientific principles of research. In the study of information mechanisms of the UN system, systematic and analytical methods were used with their inherent analysis and synthesis. The historical approach made it possible to trace the evolution of the UN activities in the field of information support for peacekeeping. The comprehensive use of various methods allowed the creation of a modern picture of the information support for UN peacekeeping operations.

The maintenance ofpeace is part of the much broader efforts that the United Nations is making for peace providing. At all these stages, the effective use of information is vital. It is impossible to achieve the main goals of the UN without information - it is becoming an important aspect of increasing the effectiveness ofpeacekeeping operations.

Preventive steps should be based on timely and accurate facts. A new concept of security is being formed, the basis of which is the protection of the entire population and specific people from the violence generated within the state. These tasks compel the UN to adjust traditional concepts, and one of the most important aspects is the widespread use of information technology.

The UN strategic approach to conflict prevention requires closer interaction between the main units dealing with peace and security issues. In this regard, they need better tools for collecting and analyzing information.

A professional system for accumulating knowledge on conflict situations, the effective dissemination of this knowledge to a wide range of users, the preparation of analytical assessments and the formulation of long-term strategies has been created in the form of Secretariat of Informational and Strategic Analysis.

For UN peacekeeping operations, the potential for public information and communication in mission areas is an operational necessity, but experience shows that such components in missions are often not well planned or are not effectively supported.

An important problem is the planning of missions. The emergence of a new generation of complex operations, which are characterized by political, humanitarian and military aspects, requires more serious coordination and interaction, and calls for the coordination of efforts of various departments and institutions. The Service of Mission Planning is at the center of this process, acting as a consultative and coordinating mechanism, and its main objective is to anticipate the emergence of a crisis situation and to plan early, even before the Security Council's approval.

Over the past decade, the UN has repeatedly failed to effectively resolve the conflict, and today its potential has not improved in this area. Negative results in many cases were the result of the fact that the funds that were made available to the Organization did not meet the requirements for it.

Considerable attention should be given to more effective coordination of the implementation of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programs, and to achieve this goal it is vital that information is collected early and effectively analyzed.

Actions related to the prevention of the crisis mean well-informed political support, which will ensure constant information to the UN on the development of the situation and on key factors. The level of Secretariat support for missions is not sufficient, so additional efforts and resources are needed to improve activities in this area.

It is proved that the success ofpeacekeeping operations depends on the ability of the United Nations to ensure the unity of the objectives of the various units, which will allow it to act in concert and use its resources in strategically important areas. In order to succeed, the UN must focus its attention on the aspects of the activity that are best for it.

There is an urgent need to make the information structure and practices of the Organization more effective so that it can carry out its functions in the maintenance of peace and security better. Current conflicts have many aspects that require a comprehensive approach and more coordinated actions, therefore the mechanisms for information exchange and coordination between the UN system units should be improved.

Key words: UN information activities, informational providing, UN peacekeeping operations, Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

The main text

Over the past decades, the world has undergone profound changes, manifested in particular in the growth of the role of information - its influence can be compared with the influence of the industrial revolution, the Internet has become the fastest growing means of communication in the history of civilization. Information acts as a driving force for understanding between peoples and increasing people's participation in making decisions that affect their lives.

The broad support of the world community is the key to successful UN activities. In this regard, communication work plays a very important role for the Organization. Without information, it is impossible to achieve the main goals of the UN - it is becoming an increasingly important aspect of increasing the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations. Peacekeeping activities will not be successful if people do not understand the purpose and essence of peacekeepers' actions.

Ensuring international peace and security is one of the main reasons for the creation of the UN. The maintenance of peace is part of the much broader efforts of the United Nations. The UN applies preventive diplomacy to eliminate the conflict even before it explodes, as well as post-conflict peacebuilding to create conditions for sustainable peace and eliminate the causes of a new conflict. At all these stages, the effective use of information is vital.

Thus, the relevance of the topic arises from the need to research the information component of UN peacekeeping operations, which is an important tool for achieving its goals in the area of peace and security.

The purpose of the study is to analyze the information support for UN peacekeeping operations.

The main political leaders and experts have always given serious attention to information problems. Among foreign researchers, who grounded the role of information in the world, it is necessary to single out the works of A. Gore, Z. Brzezinski, M. McLuhan, A. Toffler, etc. The UN Secretary- Generals continues to pay great attention to information development, among which a special contribution to the information support of peacekeeping was made by P. de Cuellar, B. Gali, K. Annan and A. Guterres.

Among Ukrainian scientists investigating the role of information, information relations and the role of international organizations in them, I would like to single out Pocheptsov G. G., Zernetskaya O. V., Litvinenko A. V. and Makarenko E. A. Among the works of Ukrainian researchers concerning the UN peacekeeping work, it is worth mentioning the works of V. S. Bruz, L. I. Skorokhod, Y. S. Skorokhod, and others.

In the area of peace and security, the United Nations is mainly concerned with intra-State conflicts, which often have serious international consequences and are often linked to humanitarian emergencies. The UN Peacekeeping Mechanism is an early warning and deterrent military force for the international community. Negative results in many cases were the result of the fact that the funds which were made available to the Organization did not meet the requirements for it.

At the present time, the concept of peacekeeping operations (PKO) has been formed. It's elements can be formulated as follows: PKOs are carried out primarily with a view to preventing conflicts and the peaceful settlement of disputes; the preparation and conduct of such operations are closely coordinated with regional organizations and are associated with political settlement and guarantees by the Security Council or its permanent members; the scope of peacekeeping forces is expanding; operations are combined with the solution of economic, social and humanitarian problems of the respective countries and regions; a unified system for training national contingents is created; the legal and financial basis for peace-keeping forces is established.

The fundamentals of the theory and practice of UN activities in the field of peacekeeping and its information support, outlined in such reports of the UN Secretary Generals as «An Agenda for Peace: Preventive Diplomacy, Peacemaking and Peacekeeping» by B. Gali [1] and «We the Peoples: role of the United Nations in the 21st century» K. Annan [2].

Among the main ways to ensure peace and security, preventive diplomacy, peacemaking, peacekeeping and post-conflict peace-building are distinguished. The most desirable and effective use of diplomacy is before tension escalates into conflict, or if it begins, immediate measures to contain and eliminate its causes. The UN needs early warning, information gathering and fact analysis. For this, exchange of military missions can be made; it is possible to establish regional hazard reduction centers; there should be a free flow of information and observation of the implementation of agreements.

Preventive steps should be based on timely and accurate facts. For the United Nations, the necessary information should cover economic and social trends, as well as political developments. It is often necessary to apply the procedure of fact-finding. All states should be ready to provide the information necessary for effective UN activities. The fact-finding mission is authorized by the Security Council or the UN General Assembly. In addition, these missions can help to settle disputes. In the area of early warning, there is a need to strengthen the mechanism so that it is possible to synthesize information with political indicators to determine the threat to peace and UN actions.

For real success, PKOs should include efforts to establish and maintain the structures necessary to strengthen peace and enhance confidence and well-being. Such activities may include, inter alia: staff consultations for security, election supervision, protection of human rights, reform and strengthening of government institutions. After the war, such measures include the implementation of projects that link countries, increase confidence, exchange in education, cultural exchange etc.

In the XXI century a new concept of security is formed, the basis of which is the protection of the entire population and specific people from the violence generated within the state. These new tasks force the UN to adjust traditional concepts. In this regard, the increased use of information technology can help to reduce suffering for people in times of emergency. Whereas in the center of traditional peacekeeping operations there were mainly efforts to monitor the ceasefire, today's complex peacekeeping operations are of a completely different nature. Their goal is to help the conflicting parties to ensure their interests by political means. To this end, the UN promotes the creation and strengthening of political institutions, as well as the expansion of their base. The organization works together with governments and the local population in order to deliver humanitarian aid, establish communications, etc.

Over the past decade, the UN has repeatedly failed to effectively resolve the conflict, and today its potential has not improved in this area. Therefore, UN studies were conducted to determine what was the cause of these failures. These studies showed how the lack of political will, inadequate Security Council mandates and a lack of resources, along with the shortcomings of the UN itself, contributed to the failure. Of these, conclusions were drawn, which include, inter alia, the importance of joint action by Member States and the Secretariat; the need to improve the exchange of information both between Member States and the Secretariat and within the Secretariat itself; and the need for more efficient and timely analysis of information coming from the field.

Some PKOs were launched by the international community in many ways in order to create the appearance of taking action. The experts called to abandon the half measures and move to a clear plan of action, which has broad support. In those cases when the preconditions for successful actions do not exist, it is better not to conduct operations at all; when actions begin, operations should be much better equipped and have more support.

The UN strategic approach to conflict prevention requires closer interaction between the main operational departments of the Secretariat dealing with peace and security. To this end, they will need improved tools for collecting and analyzing relevant information and supporting the Executive Committee on Peace and Security (ECMS), which facilitates a wider exchange of information and cooperation between departments.

A professional system for accumulating knowledge on conflict situations, the effective dissemination of this knowledge to a wide range of users, the preparation of analytical policy assessments and the formulation of long-term strategies has been created in the form of the ECMS secretariat for information and strategic analysis (SISA). The main tasks of this secretariat are: to provide substantive secretariat services to the Committee, as well as work between departments in relation to conflict prevention; to serve as a coordinating center for the development of integrated strategies requiring a multidisciplinary approach in which political, socio-economic and humanitarian factors would merge into one whole; to serve as an internal center for the accumulation of knowledge for workers through the study and analysis of peacekeeping and security issues; serve as a focal point for the application of modern information systems and technologies in the work of all elements of the UN system involved in the maintenance of peace and security; make the dissemination and accumulation of information more efficient and effective.

One of the main functions of the SISA is to provide the Secretary General and members of the ECMS with a consolidated assessment of the efforts of the United Nations and other agencies to address the causes of conflict and to assess the potential benefits of further involvement of the UN. It provides basic background information for the initial work of the integrated task forces on mission planning and provides analysis and management of the information flow between the mission and the target group from the beginning of the mission.

SISA is also designed to manage and use complex databases that supplement and sometimes replace telegrams, daily operational data, information kits and informal contacts with colleagues that are used by department heads in order to be up-to-date. Such databases, which can be used by both Headquarters and field operations, can revolutionize the way the UN accumulates knowledge and analyzes key issues of peace and security. The establishment of SISA is also useful for the Security Council and the troop-contributing countries, as it helps to improve the content of the analytical component of operations in new missions. So, SISA should become a mechanism for more rational use of information that already exists in the UN system.

An interesting problem is the potential of the UN in the field of public information, which can be used in peacekeeping operations. As already noted, practically for all UN operations, the potential for public information and communication in mission areas is an operational necessity. Effective dissemination of information helps to decrease rumors and misinformation and helps to secure the support of the local population. It can become a lever of pressure on the leaders of opposing factions, improve the security of UN personnel and act as an impact enhancer. It is therefore extremely important that each PKO develop strategies for information campaigns, especially with respect to the key aspects of the mission's mandate, and that the first group that is sent to facilitate the deployment of a new mission already has such strategies and includes the staff necessary to implement them.

Field missions need employees who would represent the mission as part of daily public outreach. For effective work, they must have work experience, as well as know how the missions and UN Headquarters operate. In addition, it is necessary that UN field operations can effectively disseminate information to their own employees, inform them about the mission's policies and events, strengthen the links between the components, and between the higher and lower levels. New information technologies are an effective tool for providing such communication and should be included into basic equipment kits.

According to the UN, the amount of resources devoted to public information activities rarely exceeds 1 percent of the operational budget of the mission [3, p. 2]. In view of the foregoing, it can be concluded that there is a need to increase the amount of such resources necessary to disseminate information about the operation and to establish effective internal communication links in order to bring resources in line with the mandate and needs of the missions. Experience shows that such components in PKOs are often not well planned or are not effectively supported.

An important problem is the planning of missions. By the early 1990s the planning of the peacekeeping operation began after the voting in the Security Council on the relevant resolution. It boiled down to such questions as delivering military units to the area of alleged actions and how to organize their support, in the absence of an integrated approach.

As a result of the growing demand for new peacekeeping missions, there was a need for capacitybuilding for operational planning. The emergence of a new generation of integrated PKOs, which are characterized by political, humanitarian and military aspects, requires more serious coordination and interaction than before, and calls for coordinating the efforts of various departments and institutions. Special resources are being allocated to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to improve the planning process and coordination functions. The Mission Planning Service plays a central role in this process, acting as a consultation and coordination mechanism for departments and external organizations involved in the conduct of a relevant peacekeeping mission [4]. Its purpose is to anticipate the emergence of a crisis situation and to plan at an early stage, even before the Security Council authorizes an operation.

The service is divided into a number of functional units, each of which has its own information responsibilities. The general planning team contributes to the planning process by making recommendations for its improvement. Such assistance can be carried out through the development of an appropriate doctrine or writing a written manual, and it also renews standard operating procedures. The Mission Organization Unit is responsible for developing common plans for the implementation of new field missions and for changing existing mandates. On their basis, operational support concepts are developed. Mission planners prepare consultations on military matters, using a database based on the information collected and the experience of previous missions.

Unlike military-related components of missions, civilian police and other aspects, there is no unit at Headquarters that is specifically responsible for meeting the operational requirements of informationsharing components of PKOs. In the most concentrated form, responsibility for the activities of public information missions lies with the Office of the Spokesman of the Secretary-General, as well as with the press secretaries and public information officers of the missions themselves. At Headquarters, staff of the Peace and Security Section of the Department of Public Information (DPI) are responsible for preparing publications, posting and updating materials on peace operations and resolving other issues on the website [5]. This section prepares and updates information on peacekeeping activities, but its capacity to develop a strategy for standard operating procedures in the field of information on the ground is very limited. There is insufficient staff for posting on the site all materials related to peace and security, as well as all information sent by the missions for the site. Therefore, the current process of preparing news and posting materials on the UN website is rather slow. This also limits the amount of information that can be given for each mission. DPI and field staff showed an interest in solving this problem by developing a model of «joint site management», which could be the best option.

One of the main objectives of UN peacekeeping operations in the information aspect are: to promote communication and data exchange; to provide the staff with the tools they need in their work; and ultimately create opportunities for the UN to be more effective in preventing conflicts and helping societies to break out of war. One of the keys to achieving many of these goals is modern information technology.

The issues of information technology strategy and policy go beyond peacekeeping operations and concern the entire UN system. However, more significant issues should not prevent the application of common approaches to the use of information technologies in the framework of PKOs. The communications service can provide communication via satellite and local networks, so that missions can create effective information networks and databases, but strategies need to be developed to help users learn the basics of technology.

When the UN starts a mission, it is important that its elements can easily exchange data among themselves. Within the framework of all complex PKOs, many different actors are involved: departments of the Secretariat, as well as UN agencies, funds and programs; employees who first appeared in the UN system; regional organizations; bilateral aid agencies; dozens of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) involved in humanitarian and development issues. They all need a mechanism, facilitating the effective exchange of information.

Badly planned and poorly integrated information technologies can create obstacles for such cooperation. The consequences of the fact that there are no agreed standards at the application software level can be critical, ranging from distorting the essence of politics and ending with the inability to feel serious changes in the operational environment.

Information technology could be used more rationally to help a wide range of people operating in the UN operations area to obtain and exchange data on a systematic and mutually beneficial basis. For example, UN agencies dealing with development and humanitarian assistance operate in most places where UN peace operations are deployed. These UN groups at the country level that are engaged in additional activities at the grass-roots level appear in the region long before the deployment of an integrated peace operation, and they remain there after it is withdrawn. Together, they have a good experience and knowledge that they have gained through working in local conditions and which could be useful in planning and implementing PKOs. The Center for Analysis and Processing of Electronic Data could assist in the planning and implementation of the mission, as well as assist in the prevention and evaluation of conflicts. By properly combining these data and the data collected after the deployment of the various components of a PKO and their use in combination with geographic information systems (GIS), powerful tools could be developed to identify needs and problems in the mission area, as well as to assess results. So, in the composition of each mission there should be specialists in the field of GIS.

An effective training tool for mission personnel and for parties in the field can be computer simulation. In principle, any component of a particular operation can be modeled. This modeling can facilitate group problem solving and demonstrate to the parties on the ground the implications of their policy decisions they are not able to predict. With appropriate Internet access, computer modeling can be part of distance learning aids tailored to a particular new operation and used to pre-train recruits in the mission.

Some components of missions, such as civilian police and related criminal justice units and human rights investigators, need to protect the network, as well as software for storing, transferring and analyzing data. Two of the most important technologies in this regard are the GIS program and the crime mapping program that are used to convert raw data into geographical collections, show trends in crime and contain other critical data that facilitate the tasks of establishing internal links between events or pointing out the characteristic features of problem areas. This contribute to expanding the ability of civilian police to combat crime or to advise their colleagues from local law enforcement bodies.

So, there is an urgent need to improve the effectiveness of the information structure and practice of the Organization so that it can more effectively perform its functions in the maintenance of peace and security.

Obviously, much attention should be paid to the need for more effective coordination of the implementation of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programs, and for this it is vital that the information is quickly collected and analyzed efficiently, both at the level of the information department of the Mission and at Headquarters. But, despite effective coordination and an improved plan of action, one of the decisive factors for the successful implementation of the mandate is adequate and timely funding of these programs.

Actions related to the prevention of the crisis imply well-informed political support, which will ensure constant information to the UN on the development of the situation within the region and on key factors. Peacekeepers need more information about options for their activities. Missions should not create their own contact network. They need to know exactly who to contact for the necessary answers and support. In addition, they should be able to get an answer to these questions in one place, in a structure that includes everything needed for the mission personnel.

As a result of the analysis of actions within the framework of PKO, it is clear that the level of Secretariat support for these missions is not sufficient, therefore additional efforts and resources are required to improve activities in this area. In recent years, the permanent representatives to the UN, as well as independent observers, said that the shortcomings that exist in the UN's activities for peace and security can not be corrected without significant financial resources. In addition to raising funds, it is obvious that an effective system for accumulating knowledge is needed to improve the work of the UN in the field of peace and security.

Since each of the elements involved in the PKO has its own culture, working methods and objectives, they all need a mechanism, facilitating the effective exchange of information and ideas. This requires that one of the units of the UN system at the Headquarters level should deal with the integration of information technology, the development and implementation of an information standards strategy for users. One of the steps for the integration and sharing of information should be the creation and maintenance of a catalog of resources of information systems and communication technologies related to PKO.