Pakistan urges integration of advanced technologies to UN peacekeeping to enhance effectiveness

Celina Ali

Islamabad: As ceasefires grow more fragile and conflicts more unpredictable, Pakistan has called for making use of the rapidly expanding array of new technologies to make its peacekeeping missions “more effective”.

“Advances in sensing technologies can dramatically enhance ceasefire monitoring at lower costs,” Ambassador Aim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan o the United Nations, told the UN Security Council.

Speaking at a Council’s briefing on the Heads of Military Component (HOMC) of the UN Peacekeeping, he emphasized that advances in sensing technology — including drones and satellite imagery — can significantly enhance monitoring capabilities by providing “real-time, comprehensive situational awareness”.

Noting that the core original function of peacekeeping – monitoring and observing ceasefires – has endured, Ambassador Asim said that he first two Missions – the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) and the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) – were established with this purpose and continue to hold relevance till this day.

“Ceasefire monitoring by the UN has played a vital role in maintaining peace in several flashpoints such as Jammu and Kashmir, the Golan Heights, Cyprus, Lebanon and Western Sahara,” the Pakistani envoy said, underscoring that UN peacekeeping was “cost-effective and deeply impactful.”

The Security Council, he said, must ensure that the environment provided by the cessation of hostilities and compliance with ceasefire was utilized strategically to advance the overall political objectives, and peace process including through sustained diplomatic engagement and support for implementation of UN Security Council resolutions to ensure just and lasting settlement of those conflicts.

“This is true for all situations on the Council’s agenda, including Jammu and Kashmir,” Ambassador Asim told 15-member Council.

Peacekeeping, he said, remains one of the UN’s most effective instruments to help countries transition the difficult path from conflict to peace. Pakistan is among the largest troop contributors tø the peacekeeping missions deployed in hotspots around the world.

Next week, Pakistan will host Peacekeeping Ministerial preparatory meeting, in partnership with South Korea, in Islamabad. “We are also proud to join hands with Denmark and the Republic of Korea, in a “trio” to keep this vital agenda front and center during our current tenure on the Council.”

Ambassador Asim also stressed the need for timely, credible information and prompt reporting of violations for effective ceasefire monitoring and regular reporting to the Security Council by the six missions currently tasked with this role.

He paid tributes to the 4,423 peacekeepers, who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, including 181 Pakistani peacekeepers. “We honour their memory, bravery and service.”

The Pakistani envoy described the military component as the backbone of UN peacekeeping, saying that the ‘blue helmets’ are not just the face of UN peacekeeping – they are its pride.

In this regard, he called for collaboration with regional and sub-regional organizations to boost peacekeeping impact; mitigating threats from landmines and IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) through specialized training, and improving peacekeeper mobility with helicopters and all-terrain vehicles.

The Ambassador also proposed equipping peacekeepers with training on ceasefire agreements, and to hold perpetrators accountable for attacks on peacekeeper — recent incidents across multiple missions highlight the urgency of this issue.

Earlier, briefing the Security Council, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, head of UN peace operations, said, “Ceasefire monitoring can no longer be just about being present, it is about rapidly understanding and acting on what is happening on the ground.”

Advances in technology, he explained, are helping ‘blue helmets’ increase their impact by allowing them to monitor vast and complex landscapes in near-real time – overcoming the need to be physically on the ground.

At the same time, a political process backed by the unified support of Member States, particularly the Security Council, remains vital to secure and sustain peace.

“While peacekeeping can be an integral part of a ceasefire monitoring regime, the success of any ceasefire remains the sole responsibility of the parties [to the agreement],” he said.

Lieutenant General Aroldo Lazaro Saenz, Head of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), also underscored the critical importance of political process.

Originally established in 1978, the mandate of UNIFIL was most recently defined in resolution 1701 of 2006, which called for a full cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel following the 34-day war in Lebanon.

It reinforced UNIFIL’s mandate to monitor the ceasefire, support the Lebanese Armed Forces deployment in southern Lebanon and facilitate humanitarian access.

However, the conflict between Israeli security forces and Hezbollah following the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in southern Israel, complicated UNIFIL’s operating environment, until the cessation of hostilities agreed in November 2024.

“Since this cessation of hostilities and in the absence of a permanent ceasefire, one of the main obstacles has always been that the parties interpret differently their obligations under resolution 1701 and now with respect to the cessation of hostilities understanding,” Lt. Gen. Lázaro said.

Another challenge is the rise of misinformation and disinformation, which undermines the credibility of UN peacekeepers and fuels local distrust. It compelled UNIFIL to adapt its approach to safeguard credibility, project impartiality and strengthen trust.

Effective outreach, fact-checking and timely responses are critical to safeguarding the mission’s impartiality, Lt. Gen. Lázaro said, noting that UNIFIL has implemented a structured communication strategy to counter misinformation, ensuring that messages are fact-based, clear and consistent across all peacekeeping units.

“It is essential that government actors also make public statements to sensitize the population to UNIFIL’s role and mandate, to avoid misperception,” he added.

Like UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) is also combating the growing influence of disinformation, which armed groups exploit to destabilize communities and undermine peacekeeping efforts.