United Nations Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial: Early Warning and Rapid Deployment 

November 15, 2017 – Ottawa – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

More than 500 delegates from 84 countries and international organizations are gathering in Vancouver for the 2017 UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial to discuss the following themes:

•  Early Warning and Rapid Deployment
•  Smart Pledges
•  Protecting Those at Risk
•  Innovation in Training and Capacity Building

Early Warning and Rapid Deployment

Early warning before conflict breaks out helps peacekeepers deploy rapidly to prevent conflict.

A preparatory meeting was held in Kigali, Rwanda on August 29-30 to prepare insights and potential pledges related to Early Warning and Rapid Deployment for the 2017 UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial. Military and civilian personnel from 25 Member States and international organizations participated in the meeting.

The Early Warning and Rapid Deployment discussions at the 2017 UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial aim to:

1. Generate new pledges to close UN rapid deployment capability gaps

The ability to deploy rapidly in a crisis continues to be a challenge for UN peacekeeping. The aim is to identify these gaps and generate pledges to address them.

2. Address UN internal reforms for early warning and rapid deployment

Addressing current and future UN reform initiatives to support early warning and rapid deployment is crucial. This involves utilizing mechanisms to better support the UN’s information collection and sharing initiatives.

3. Identify innovative approaches, capacities and technologies to improve early warning

Improving early warning, analysis and mission planning includes finding and employing innovative approaches, capacities and technologies This also includes leveraging the early warning capacities of local communities, civil society and/or non-governmental organizations.   

4. Address gender-specific capability shortfalls

Female peacekeepers are often the most appropriate UN personnel to interact with members of the population that are at-risk, who often will only speak with other women. In this sense, strengthening engagement between female peacekeepers and local women can enhance early warning mechanisms. These efforts improve the ability to gather information and detect early warning signs.

5. Address policing capability gaps

The growing importance of UN police needs to be matched with appropriate, adequately resourced capabilities. This response must involve implementing innovative approaches, capacities and technologies for UN police to improve early warning.

6. Reflect on operating in francophone environments

UN troops must effectively communicate with local populations and governments in settings where French is an official or commonly-used language. Accordingly, this theme covers challenges, best practices and lessons learned with respect to early warning and rapid deployment in francophone environments.

Related Products

• News release
• Backgrounder on Smart Pledges
• Backgrounder on Protecting Those at Risk
• Backgrounder on Innovation in Training and Capacity Building
• Backgrounder on 2017 UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial and Canada’s Defence Policy

Associated Links

2017 UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial conference

Contacts

Media Relations
Department of National Defence
Phone: 613-996-2353
Toll-Free: 1-866-377-0811
Email: mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca