UNITED NATIONS
In marking the International Day of U.N. Peacekeepers in May 2024, officials pointed to the increasing importance of “nontraditional tools” to help peacekeepers fulfill their duties. These tools are helicopters, engineering instruments, satellite imaging, mine detectors and radio broadcasts.
The U.N. regards helicopters as critical because they help peacekeepers reach remote villages, allow rapid response and evacuation during emergencies, deliver essential aid to communities in need, and provide aerial surveillance and reconnaissance. In some instances, weaponized helicopters can deter armed groups.
To truly build peace, peacekeeping focuses on people and their needs. The loss and lack of key infrastructure such as schools, medical facilities, roads and bridges hinders any efforts to help communities build sustainable peace. That’s why engineers and combat engineers known as sappers are instrumental in helping people recover and rebuild.
In the past two decades, satellite imaging has given peacekeepers a good overview of conflict zones and enhanced situational awareness. Peacekeepers use satellite imagery to monitor troop movements, displacement trends and flows, potential threats and movements of armed groups, and impending natural disasters.
With such critical information, peacekeepers can make informed decisions, effectively plan patrols and coordinate responses. Satellite imaging helps enhance operational awareness in countries with vast, remote and difficult terrains. Real-time imagery of inaccessible regions also helps peacekeepers swiftly assess needs and prioritize interventions accordingly.
Mine detectors have played a crucial role in saving countless lives worldwide. Land mines kill or maim mostly civilians. Today, nearly 70 countries and territories have land mines. The U.N. Mine Action Service deploys deminers to nearly 20 countries and territories, including in peacekeeping missions, to detect and destroy the mines.
Radio has played a vital role in many peacekeeping missions since the late 1980s. Today, three peacekeeping missions have their own stations. Peacekeepers use radio for vital news, early warnings about potential threats, discussions of pertinent issues and educational programs. They also provide an invaluable platform for local voices and perspectives, helping to foster reconciliation among divided communities.