UN peacekeeping operations are a key international response to prolonged armed conflict. They operate both nationally and at a country’s frontiers, where conflict spills over borders to neighbouring states.

Understanding the effectiveness of these peacekeeping operations is critical. Why are some successful while others fail?

In this webinar, we explore whether the make-up of a UN peacekeeping operation – the gender, origin or status of the personnel involved – has anything to do with its success or failure. XCEPT Research Fund awardee, the United Nations University (UNU), reveal the results of their experiments with Machine Learning – crunching data across UN operations in the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, and South Sudan – to understand how the personnel characteristics of UN peace support operations impact on their effectiveness.

Speakers included:

• Eduardo Albrecht, Senior Fellow at the United Nations University, Centre for Policy Research. His research focuses on uses of artificial intelligence (AI) in state and international organization decision-making processes.
• Chido Mutangadura, Senior Fellow (non-resident) on Governance of Peace and Security at the United Nations University, Centre for Policy Research.
• Ayham Al Maleh, UN Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (UN DPPA-DPO), Information Management Officer, lead on the Peace and Security Data Hub.
• Eleanore Fournier-Tombs, Senior Researcher at United Nations University, Centre for Policy Research and Research Lead for the UN’s High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence.
• Charlie Plumb, student at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
• Andrew Ham, student at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
• Kendal Gee, student at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.