Rapid technological advancement has impacted military affairs in extraordinary ways. New technolo... more Rapid technological advancement has impacted military affairs in extraordinary ways. New technologies have led to more explosive, powerful and precise weapons. They have steadily increased the ability to monitor an enemy or opponent. Technology changed the way wars are fought. Has it also changed the way peace is kept?
Technology supplements rather than substitutes for the human presence in the field. Face-to-face ... more Technology supplements rather than substitutes for the human presence in the field. Face-to-face interactions with armed factions and local civilians will always be the basis for peacekeepers to build trust and understanding. However, peacekeepers need all the information they can get to be safe and secure in complex and dangerous environments, and to carry out their monitoring mandates effectively. Human vision and communication are limited in distance, in duration and at night. There is much that technology can do to
The United Nations has done far more than its predecessor, the League of Nations, to keep watch o... more The United Nations has done far more than its predecessor, the League of Nations, to keep watch over the peace and security of the world. In fact, no other organization in history has as much experience in monitoring peace agreements and treaties as the United Nations. Since World War II, it has verified fragile peace arrangements between numerous conflicting parties
New technological advances in areas such as digital information, algorithmic forensic data analys... more New technological advances in areas such as digital information, algorithmic forensic data analysis, autonomous surveillance vehicles, advanced robotics, and multispectral sensors (sometimes all working together) can help avert war, introduce more effective peacekeeping and peacemaking initiatives, lessen the impact of conflict on innocent people, and help rebuild war-torn states. When international humanitarian action becomes urgent, by way of knowledge gained through such technologies, then those same peace applications can be used to reduce harmful forms of intervention and to ensure that enforcers are abiding by international law and UN guidance. An ethical failure occurs when such technologies exist to save lives, reduce risks, and secure peace, but are not employed.
Le concept de «guerre à trois volets» a été brièvement utilisé comme métaphore par les dirigeants... more Le concept de «guerre à trois volets» a été brièvement utilisé comme métaphore par les dirigeants de la marine américaine à la fin du xxe siècle. En 2004‑2005, les Forces canadiennes l'ont repris à leur compte et l'ont préconisé comme nouveau modèle de leurs ...
International Journal of Cyber Warfare and Terrorism, 2019
Cybersecurity is coming to the forefront of the concerns of nations, organizations and individual... more Cybersecurity is coming to the forefront of the concerns of nations, organizations and individuals. Government agencies, banking systems and businesses have been crippled by criminal and malicious cyberattacks. There are many examples of cyberattacks in regions of tensions and armed conflict. There are no impartial international means to investigate the claims and counter-claims about cyberattacks. The international community more broadly lacks a way to deal with cyberattacks in a concerted manner. A new approach and capability should be considered for certain circumstances: cyberpeacekeeping. Peacekeeping has proven effective in physical space, and many of the same principles and methods could also be applied in cyberspace, with some adjustments. It could help prevent global attacks, and if an attack were to be successful, it could assist with recovery and conduct impartial investigations to uncover the perpetrators. The possibilities of a cyberpeacekeeping team at the United Natio...
What does Hinduism have to say about the rules of armed conflict? How might Hinduism enrich the m... more What does Hinduism have to say about the rules of armed conflict? How might Hinduism enrich the modern global discourse on international humanitarian law (IHL)? What convergences might be found, and what areas of divergence? This paper examines and contextualizes the rules of armed conflict advocated in classical Hindu texts, especially in the epic Mahābhārata, where important norms of Hinduism are established. It also examines the other major epic, the Rāmāyaṇa, and the Dharmaśāstras (Law Codes), as well as the Arthaśāstra, which takes an alternative (realpolitik) approach. This paper focuses on conduct during armed conflict (jus in bello), now synonymous for many with IHL, rather than considerations leading up to war (jus ad bellum). The paper seeks to illuminate both convergences and divergences with IHL and highlight particular Hindu approaches on the righteous (dharmic) application of violence. Like IHL, classical Hinduism values (1) proportionality of force during armed engage...
Spurred by the recent success of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Bosnia, there i... more Spurred by the recent success of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Bosnia, there is renewed interest in the idea of employing regional organizations (RO) and equivalent groupings to conduct peacekeeping operations as an alternative to United ...
This article is part of our series on benchmark figures and traditions in the ethics of war. We w... more This article is part of our series on benchmark figures and traditions in the ethics of war. We wish to highlight how major thinkers or traditions of thought have discussed and handled the thorny ethical issues associated with using armed force. Sikhism is an important, yet little known religious tradition, which at several points has addressed exactly such questions. (Ed.) To understand Sikh attitudes towards the use of armed force, two quite different Sikh sacred texts are carefully examined in this article: the Adi Granth, the most hallowed scripture of the Sikhs, and the Dasam Granth, the controversial scripture of the last human gurū. But scriptural analysis is not sufficient since historical developments within the community have exerted a major influence on Sikh thought. Especially relevant episodes are highlighted: the fight against Mughal rule, the emergence of the Khālsā, the martyrdom of prominent Sikhs, the Sikh reform process, the background role of Jatt culture, and...
This chapter looks at how peacekeeping intelligence expanded in MINUSMA and how it worked in prac... more This chapter looks at how peacekeeping intelligence expanded in MINUSMA and how it worked in practice. Apart from reviewing the main innovations and structures, and the means for information gathering, processing, dissemination and direction, the chapter identifies many challenges and summarizes these by means of three dichotomies. First, the European countries brought in the innovative intelligence capabilities, heavily based on advanced NATO procedures, but the main force was mostly populated with African soldiers who had the greater cultural familiarity and knew more of the locally spoken languages. Marrying the Western and African capabilities turned out to be challenging due to incoherent procedures, systems, levels of experience as well as reporting mechanisms. In addition, information-sharing from classified NATO databases proved difficult. Second, whereas several innovative intelligence units produced comprehensive intelligence reports focusing on the longer term, MINUSMA’s ...
Rapid technological advancement has impacted military affairs in extraordinary ways. New technolo... more Rapid technological advancement has impacted military affairs in extraordinary ways. New technologies have led to more explosive, powerful and precise weapons. They have steadily increased the ability to monitor an enemy or opponent. Technology changed the way wars are fought. Has it also changed the way peace is kept?
Technology supplements rather than substitutes for the human presence in the field. Face-to-face ... more Technology supplements rather than substitutes for the human presence in the field. Face-to-face interactions with armed factions and local civilians will always be the basis for peacekeepers to build trust and understanding. However, peacekeepers need all the information they can get to be safe and secure in complex and dangerous environments, and to carry out their monitoring mandates effectively. Human vision and communication are limited in distance, in duration and at night. There is much that technology can do to
The United Nations has done far more than its predecessor, the League of Nations, to keep watch o... more The United Nations has done far more than its predecessor, the League of Nations, to keep watch over the peace and security of the world. In fact, no other organization in history has as much experience in monitoring peace agreements and treaties as the United Nations. Since World War II, it has verified fragile peace arrangements between numerous conflicting parties
New technological advances in areas such as digital information, algorithmic forensic data analys... more New technological advances in areas such as digital information, algorithmic forensic data analysis, autonomous surveillance vehicles, advanced robotics, and multispectral sensors (sometimes all working together) can help avert war, introduce more effective peacekeeping and peacemaking initiatives, lessen the impact of conflict on innocent people, and help rebuild war-torn states. When international humanitarian action becomes urgent, by way of knowledge gained through such technologies, then those same peace applications can be used to reduce harmful forms of intervention and to ensure that enforcers are abiding by international law and UN guidance. An ethical failure occurs when such technologies exist to save lives, reduce risks, and secure peace, but are not employed.
Le concept de «guerre à trois volets» a été brièvement utilisé comme métaphore par les dirigeants... more Le concept de «guerre à trois volets» a été brièvement utilisé comme métaphore par les dirigeants de la marine américaine à la fin du xxe siècle. En 2004‑2005, les Forces canadiennes l'ont repris à leur compte et l'ont préconisé comme nouveau modèle de leurs ...
International Journal of Cyber Warfare and Terrorism, 2019
Cybersecurity is coming to the forefront of the concerns of nations, organizations and individual... more Cybersecurity is coming to the forefront of the concerns of nations, organizations and individuals. Government agencies, banking systems and businesses have been crippled by criminal and malicious cyberattacks. There are many examples of cyberattacks in regions of tensions and armed conflict. There are no impartial international means to investigate the claims and counter-claims about cyberattacks. The international community more broadly lacks a way to deal with cyberattacks in a concerted manner. A new approach and capability should be considered for certain circumstances: cyberpeacekeeping. Peacekeeping has proven effective in physical space, and many of the same principles and methods could also be applied in cyberspace, with some adjustments. It could help prevent global attacks, and if an attack were to be successful, it could assist with recovery and conduct impartial investigations to uncover the perpetrators. The possibilities of a cyberpeacekeeping team at the United Natio...
What does Hinduism have to say about the rules of armed conflict? How might Hinduism enrich the m... more What does Hinduism have to say about the rules of armed conflict? How might Hinduism enrich the modern global discourse on international humanitarian law (IHL)? What convergences might be found, and what areas of divergence? This paper examines and contextualizes the rules of armed conflict advocated in classical Hindu texts, especially in the epic Mahābhārata, where important norms of Hinduism are established. It also examines the other major epic, the Rāmāyaṇa, and the Dharmaśāstras (Law Codes), as well as the Arthaśāstra, which takes an alternative (realpolitik) approach. This paper focuses on conduct during armed conflict (jus in bello), now synonymous for many with IHL, rather than considerations leading up to war (jus ad bellum). The paper seeks to illuminate both convergences and divergences with IHL and highlight particular Hindu approaches on the righteous (dharmic) application of violence. Like IHL, classical Hinduism values (1) proportionality of force during armed engage...
Spurred by the recent success of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Bosnia, there i... more Spurred by the recent success of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Bosnia, there is renewed interest in the idea of employing regional organizations (RO) and equivalent groupings to conduct peacekeeping operations as an alternative to United ...
This article is part of our series on benchmark figures and traditions in the ethics of war. We w... more This article is part of our series on benchmark figures and traditions in the ethics of war. We wish to highlight how major thinkers or traditions of thought have discussed and handled the thorny ethical issues associated with using armed force. Sikhism is an important, yet little known religious tradition, which at several points has addressed exactly such questions. (Ed.) To understand Sikh attitudes towards the use of armed force, two quite different Sikh sacred texts are carefully examined in this article: the Adi Granth, the most hallowed scripture of the Sikhs, and the Dasam Granth, the controversial scripture of the last human gurū. But scriptural analysis is not sufficient since historical developments within the community have exerted a major influence on Sikh thought. Especially relevant episodes are highlighted: the fight against Mughal rule, the emergence of the Khālsā, the martyrdom of prominent Sikhs, the Sikh reform process, the background role of Jatt culture, and...
This chapter looks at how peacekeeping intelligence expanded in MINUSMA and how it worked in prac... more This chapter looks at how peacekeeping intelligence expanded in MINUSMA and how it worked in practice. Apart from reviewing the main innovations and structures, and the means for information gathering, processing, dissemination and direction, the chapter identifies many challenges and summarizes these by means of three dichotomies. First, the European countries brought in the innovative intelligence capabilities, heavily based on advanced NATO procedures, but the main force was mostly populated with African soldiers who had the greater cultural familiarity and knew more of the locally spoken languages. Marrying the Western and African capabilities turned out to be challenging due to incoherent procedures, systems, levels of experience as well as reporting mechanisms. In addition, information-sharing from classified NATO databases proved difficult. Second, whereas several innovative intelligence units produced comprehensive intelligence reports focusing on the longer term, MINUSMA’s ...
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