A high-tech option for peace efforts

UN report says satellites can play key role

Any ceasefire in Syria will have to be done piecemeal at the local level, but outside nations could contribute high-tech systems, including satellite surveillance, to monitor the situation on the ground, suggests a United Nations report obtained by Postmedia.

The high- tech solution could prove to be an opening for Canada as it searches for non-combat contributions to help end the Syrian civil war.

Such capabilities are to be discussed Feb. 18-19 at a conference in Washington, where peacekeeping and surveillance specialists invited by the White House are to convene. Walter Dorn, a professor at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto, has been asked to attend.

Canada’s RADARSAT-2 satellite is considered one of the top surveillance systems and has been used before to monitor security situations, including the movement of refugees.

Data from the satellite is currently being provided by Canada to Ukraine as it monitors movements of pro-Russian forces in the ongoing conflict in that country.

The UN draft report, produced in December by staff for Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy to Syria, concludes that a traditional peacekeeping monitoring force won’t work in that country. There are too many different groups involved in the fight- ing to arrange a nationwide ceasefire.

Instead, a series of smaller ceasefires arranged by local forces could lead to a broader ceasefire, the report said.

UN member nations could contribute by providing expertise in security analysis, landmine removal and other areas, it noted.

“An enhanced capacity for developing and maintaining situation awareness of conditions and ceasefire-related activities on the ground will be required, including access to analysis and assessment capacities along with facilities for the effective and secure collection, collation, storage and transmission of information,” the report said.

“Real-time access to satellite and observation materials, use of camera, sensor and remote monitoring platforms must also be considered.”

The analysts gathering in Washington next week will discuss various methods to monitor a Syrian ceasefire if one is reached. The confer- ence will also look at new technology for monitoring other ceasefire agreements, including using information from social media and “crowdsourcing.”

The conference is being hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the U.S. government’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Dorn said verification of ceasefires is an area where Canada could contribute with its advanced technologies.

“Canada has established a tremendous reputation on verification,” the Canadian Forces College professor said. “That could be an area where the Americans have an interest.”

The conference will also look at using local resources to monitor a ceasefire.

“There has been talk about crowdsourcing information and you could have a cadre of local monitors keeping an eye on whether a ceasefire is being honoured,” Dorn said.

“But obviously that can’t be the only source; you need the technology such as RADARSAT or other systems to corroborate the information coming in from local sources.”

UN envoy de Mistura recently announced that indirect talks had started between a Syrian government delegation and opposition representatives in Geneva. Those, however, were halted after opposition groups said there was no point in negotiating as Syrian government troops escalated attacks.

The report compiled for de Mistura warned that a larger-scale UN operation to monitor a ceasefire would not be effective in Syria.

“Any models involving international support are predicated on building off of local ceasefire-monitoring functions,” it noted. “Preexisting local arrangements present the highest likelihood of capitalizing on local situational awareness, developing relationships and building on existing levels of confidence and commitment to local ceasefire processes.”

CANADA HAS A TREMENDOUS REPUTATION ON VERIFICATION