7th EAPTC: Technology and peacekeeping

How do emerging cyber technologies impact peacekeeping operations and mediation? DiploFoundation will be at the EAPTC2019 to explore the challenges and opportunities.

The 7th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Peace Operations Training Centres (EAPTC) will take place on 16-18 April 2019 in Belgrade, Serbia. The EAPTC will be hosted by the Conflux Center, a politically independent and impartial international organisation, that promotes international co-operation, intercultural dialogue, and mediation as essential tools in addressing the challenges and threats to world peace and security. The 7th annual EAPTC meeting will focus on several topics related to peace-keeping and act as a platform for discussions on how training development can follow the ever-changing demands in peace operations and help overcome the gap between aspiration and reality.

One of the most prominent topics of this year’s event is the impact of new technologies – in particular, those that are Internet-related – on peacekeeping operations and mediation. To provide a creative space for exploration, Diplo will organise a CyberLab – a simple, quick, and straightforward simulation of new technologies and emerging concepts – to enable diplomats, trainers, and peacekeeping practitioners to better understand new technologies. The CyberLab will provide them with hands-on experience with cryptocurrencies and blockchain, 3D printing, cyber-attacks, (big) data analytics, and augmented and virtual reality, through ‘guided tours’ provided by experts that understand technological, policy, and diplomatic perspectives. The CyberLab will provoke brainstorming on particular opportunities and challenges of emerging technologies for peacekeeping operations, following the successful model implemented at the OSCE Chairmanship event in Belgrade, the 22nd OSCE Ministerial Council in 2015, and other events.

The panel ‘Peacekeeping in the Digital Age: From Online Training to Cyber-Attacks’, co-organised by the Conflux Center and Diplo, will focus on various good practices in online learning for diplomats, mediators, and peacekeepers (featuring showcases by UNITAR, Trinity College Dublin, Peace Operations Training Institute, and DiploFoundation), and discuss training needs in the field, available and useful methodologies, cost-effectiveness of various models, and ways to build partnerships among training institutions. The second part of the session will zoom out to look at harnessing emerging technologies, the impact of the online world on democracy and democratic processes, cybersecurity risks, the importance of data-protection for peacekeeping, field operation experiences with new technologies, and the potentials of data analytics, augmented reality, 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and blockchain. Vladimir Radunovic will moderate the panel, while Andrej Skrinjaric, Arvin Kamberi and Ambassador Amr Aljowaily, Ambassador of Egypt to Serbia and a senior lecturer with Diplo, will contribute to the discussions.

#Cybermediation: What role for blockchain technology and natural language processing AI?

Technological developments impact all aspects of society. Similarly, they impact the practice of diplomacy. Mediation, the peaceful resolution of conflicts through a third party, is no exception. The #Cybermediation initiative, launched earlier this year, explores mediation in the context of new technology, including social media, big data, and artificial intelligence (AI).

We continue the explorations of the #Cybermediation initiative by specifically focusing on the role of blockchain and natural language processing AI.

 

Blockchain technology links records using cryptography in such a way that they are resistant to modification. Mediation efforts often build on keeping records and finding evidence that is acceptable as neutral and accurate to all involved. Can blockchain technology serve mediators in providing a neutral record as the basis for conflict resolution?

Recent accomplishments in the area of AI illustrate that it is getting better at being able to understand, process, and generate natural language. It has huge potential to be a tool for mediators. Can AI, by for example analysing large amounts of textual data regarding conflict situations, contribute to a better understanding of a mediation situation and make suggestions regarding the framing and content of a mediation attempt?

This is not a highly technical event. The discussion will be accessible to a general audience with an interest in mediation and the role of new technology. We will give an overview of both blockchain and natural language processing AI and, building on that, make suggestions for potential #Cybermediation activities. Presentations by expert speakers will form the basis of a wider discussion and brainstorming about the future of #Cybermediation as a joint effort between speakers and audience.

 

When: Friday, 5th October 2018, 10:00 – 11:30 CEST (08:00 – 09:30 UTC)

Where: In situ and online

In situ: Room de Mello, 2nd floor, WMO building, Geneva

 

Moderation

Stephanie Borg Psaila (Interim Head of DiploFoundation and Digital Policy Director)

Enrico Formica (Senior Mediation Officer, Department of Political Affairs, United Nations Office at Geneva)

Speakers

Katharina E. Höne (Researcher, DiploFoundation)

Dejan Dincic (Digital Transformation and Online Learning Specialist)

Background

On 13 March 2018, the UN Department of Political Affairs, DiploFoundation, the Geneva Internet Platform, the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, swisspeace, and researchers from Harvard University have established a consortium to explore how digital technology affects mediation in preventing and resolving violent conflicts.

 

The objectives of the #Cybermediation initiative are to:

 

The initiative focuses on four thematic areas in detail:

DiploFoundation and the Geneva Internet Platform are coordinating the activities of the thematic working groups on big data and AI. Read more on our #Cybermediation project page.

 

If you have any questions about this event, please contact katharinah@diplomacy.edu

 
Diplo chatbot can make mistakes. Consider checking important information.