• Terms of Use
  • Article Submission
  • Premium Content
  • Editorial Board
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
Cart / ₹0

No products in the cart.

Subscribe
Mahabahu.com
  • Home
  • News & Opinions
  • Literature
  • Mahabahu Magazine
    • December 2023 – Vol-I
    • December 2023 – Vol-II
    • November 2023 – Vol-I
    • November 2023 – Vol-II
    • October 2023 – Vol-I
    • October 2023 – Vol-II
    • September 2023 – Vol-I
    • September 2023 – Vol-II
  • Lifestyle
  • Gallery
  • Mahabahu Books
    • Read Online
    • Free Downloads
  • E-Store
  • Home
  • News & Opinions
  • Literature
  • Mahabahu Magazine
    • December 2023 – Vol-I
    • December 2023 – Vol-II
    • November 2023 – Vol-I
    • November 2023 – Vol-II
    • October 2023 – Vol-I
    • October 2023 – Vol-II
    • September 2023 – Vol-I
    • September 2023 – Vol-II
  • Lifestyle
  • Gallery
  • Mahabahu Books
    • Read Online
    • Free Downloads
  • E-Store
No Result
View All Result
Mahabahu.com
Home Tech

Consensus needed over digital technology for ‘people & the planet’

UN

by Anjan Sarma
May 24, 2022
in Tech
Reading Time: 7 mins read
0
boy standing in vr headset

Photo by Vanessa Loring on Pexels.com

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedIn

Digital Technology for people & the planet

UN

While digital technologies have offered “boundless opportunities” for sustainable development, education and inclusion, the UN political chief warned on Monday (23-05-2022) that there is also a clear downside.

RelatedPosts

How Proactive Cyber Intelligence Can Empower Northeast India’s Digital Future

How Proactive Cyber Intelligence Can Empower Northeast India’s Digital Future

June 23, 2025
How Assam’s SMBs and Startups Can Fortify Their Cyber Resilience in a Digital Age

How Assam’s SMBs and Startups Can Fortify Their Cyber Resilience in a Digital Age

June 21, 2025
Can 5G Bridge the Digital Divide? Exploring its Transformative Potential for Remote Services in Assam

Can 5G Bridge the Digital Divide? Exploring its Transformative Potential for Remote Services in Assam

June 19, 2025

“We have a critical opportunity to build consensus on how digital technologies can be used for the good of people and the planet, while addressing their risks,” Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, told the Security Council.

“But collective action by Member States remains essential towards this goal”.

Digital technologies for good

She noted that social media has transformed human rights and humanitarian advocacy, “making it possible to mobilize people around the world quickly and efficiently around issues requiring urgent action”.

In maintaining peace and security, technical developments have improved the ability to detect crises, better pre-position humanitarian aid, and create data-driven peacebuilding tools, she said.

And in conflict prevention, new digital tools have strengthened peace-making and peacebuilding, providing better information and early warning data, Ms. DiCarlo added.

She pointed to the UN Mission to Support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA) in Yemen, which uses mapping and satellite technology to enhance ceasefire monitoring and increases the UN’s ability to “understand, analyze and respond to crises that may have a digital dimension, and…address digital risks”.

Consensus needed over digital technology for ‘people & the planet’
Unsplash/Firmbee.com Digital tools can strengthen information-gathering and early-warning capacity but the risks they pose must be addressed.

Political assistance

Furthermore, new technology can support political processes, particularly in promoting inclusion.

“In various peace negotiations, we have used artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted digital dialogues to reach out to thousands of interlocutors, to hear their views and priorities,” she said.

“This has been a particularly useful way to reach traditionally excluded groups, including women”.

Safety and security

They can also improve the safety and security of peacekeepers and civilian staff on the ground.

“The launch of the Strategy for the Digital Transformation of Peacekeeping represents an essential step towards this goal, and towards more effective mandate implementation – increasing early warning capacities,” said the political chief.

These tools also help visualize information and convey data-rich analysis to inform Security Council decisions – as illustrated by a recent virtual reality presentation on Colombia, highlighting the UN’s work on the ground for ambassadors.

digital1
UN Photo/Manuel Elías Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, briefs the Security Council meeting on technology and security under maintenance of international peace and security.

Worrying trends

However, there are areas of concern, Ms. DiCarlo continued, citing estimates that the number of national and non-State-sponsored incidents of technology being used maliciously, has nearly quadrupled since 2015.

“Of specific concern is activity targeting infrastructure that provides essential public services, such as health and humanitarian agencies,” she said.

At the same time, lethal autonomous weapons raise questions regarding human accountability when force is used.

Echoing the Secretary-General, she called machines with the power and discretion to take lives without human involvement, “politically unacceptable, morally repugnant, and should be prohibited by international law”.

“Non-State actors are becoming increasingly adept at using low-cost and widely available digital technologies to pursue their agendas,” warned the UN official, highlighting that terrorist groups such Al-Qaida are actively using social media platforms to recruit, plan and fundraise.

Mounting challenges

From surveillance technologies that can target communities or individuals, to potentially discriminatory AI, she drew attention to the human rights implications of new tech.

“We are also concerned about the increasing use of internet shutdowns, including in situations of active conflict, which deprive communities of their means of communication, work, and political participation,” said Ms. DiCarlo, recalling Myanmar, in which these incidents have grown in number and duration since the military coup last year.

Moreover, she continued, social media can fuel polarization and violence by spreading disinformation, radicalization, racism, and misogyny – heightening tensions and exacerbating conflict.

“In Ethiopia, as the fighting escalated, there was an alarming rise in social media posts spreading inflammatory rhetoric, with some going as far as inciting ethnic violence,” the senior UN official reminded the Council. “We also know that disinformation can hinder the ability of our missions to implement their mandates, by exacerbating falsehoods and fuelling polarization”.

digital2
© UNICEF/Hoang Le Vu A student uses AVR technology at school in Lao Cai province, Viet Nam.
 

Moving forward

While embracing the opportunities that new technology provides to advance peace, the risks must be mitigated and responsible use promoted by all.

Driven by the Plan of Action on Hate Speech and communication initiatives such as Verified, the UN is acting to allay these dangers by avoiding misperceptions and misunderstandings, Ms. DiCarlo told the meeting.

“However, more must be done,” she concluded, spotlighting the Global Digital Compact, which would outline shared principles for an “open, free and secure digital future for all”; the New Agenda for Peace, which takes a holistic view of global security’ and the proposed Code of Conduct for Integrity in Public Information.

Digital rights

Briefing virtually, Nanjala Nyabola, Director of Advox, the Digital Rights Project of the online community, Global Voices, highlighted the need for upholding and enforcing digital rights.

“In the last two decades we have witnessed a dramatic expansion in the use of digital technology,” she said, however it has “unfortunately not been complimented by a similar investment in protecting ourselves from the harms that the expansion has caused”.

The speed of technological progress has created problems that could have been prevented at an earlier stage, said Ms. Nyabola, calling for a broad moratorium on new surveillance technologies.

She turned the Council’s attention to digital access policies and internet shutdowns, underscoring how they negatively impact cultural and economic minorities and pose obstacles to women’s access.

“Digital rights are human rights,” she said, adding that users must be protected.

Improving peacekeeping

Dirk Druet, Adjunct Professor at McGill University’s Centre for International Peace and Security Studies, highlighted sophisticated monitoring and language-translation technologies that can improve peacekeeping effectiveness and protection.

He urged the UN to take a more deliberate truth-telling role in conflict zones and reminded that peacekeeping operations must forge their own digital technology protocols beyond those of the States they support.

Finally, Mr. Druet maintained that for local constituencies, truth-telling is directly tied to trust-building, advocating for an increased capacity to monitor and engage the “information landscape” in conflict zones.

24

Mahabahu.com is an Online Magazine with collection of premium Assamese and English articles and posts with cultural base and modern thinking.

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email

Like this:

Like Loading...
Anjan Sarma

Anjan Sarma

Related Posts

How Proactive Cyber Intelligence Can Empower Northeast India’s Digital Future
Tech

How Proactive Cyber Intelligence Can Empower Northeast India’s Digital Future

by Sanjeev Sarma
June 23, 2025
0

How Proactive Cyber Intelligence Can Empower Northeast India’s Digital Future Navigating Tomorrow’s Threats: How Proactive Cyber Intelligence Can Empower Northeast...

Read moreDetails
How Assam’s SMBs and Startups Can Fortify Their Cyber Resilience in a Digital Age

How Assam’s SMBs and Startups Can Fortify Their Cyber Resilience in a Digital Age

June 21, 2025
Can 5G Bridge the Digital Divide? Exploring its Transformative Potential for Remote Services in Assam

Can 5G Bridge the Digital Divide? Exploring its Transformative Potential for Remote Services in Assam

June 19, 2025
How AI-Driven Automation Can Transform Assam’s Public Sector and Business Landscape

How AI-Driven Automation Can Transform Assam’s Public Sector and Business Landscape

June 18, 2025
How Agentic AI Systems Can Empower Autonomous Operations in Assam’s Evolving Economy

How Agentic AI Systems Can Empower Autonomous Operations in Assam’s Evolving Economy

June 17, 2025
How Ethical Design Can Propel Assam into the Future While Honoring Its Roots

How Ethical Design Can Propel Assam into the Future While Honoring Its Roots

June 15, 2025
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
জ্যোতি সঙ্গীত – প্ৰথম খণ্ড

জ্যোতি প্ৰসাদ আগৰৱালাৰ কবিতা

August 7, 2021
অসমীয়া জনজাতীয় সংস্কৃতিঃ সমন্বয় আৰু সমাহৰণ

অসমীয়া জনজাতীয় সংস্কৃতিঃ সমন্বয় আৰু সমাহৰণ

November 19, 2024
আলাবৈ ৰণ: শৰাইঘাটৰ যুদ্ধৰ পটভূমিত

 লাচিত : শৰাইঘাটৰ যুদ্ধ আৰু ইয়াৰ ঐতিহাসিক তাৎপৰ্য

November 24, 2024
FREEDOM FIGHTERS OF ASSAM

FREEDOM FIGHTERS OF ASSAM

August 15, 2024
man in black shirt standing on top of mountain drinking coffee

মোৰ হিমালয় ভ্ৰমণৰ অভিজ্ঞতা

0
crop businessman giving contract to woman to sign

Loan Waivers : LOOKING BACK@ 2015

0
What is the Burqa and is it mandatory for all Muslim women to wear it?

What is the Burqa and is it mandatory for all Muslim women to wear it?

0
person in black tank top

বৃক্ক বিকলতা বা কিডনি ফেইলৰ

0
Israel Strikes on Iran!

Israel-Iran Conflict Escalates: Missile Strikes, Airspace Closures, and Diplomatic Fallout

June 24, 2025
mans face in close up

অনুকম্পা

June 24, 2025
shallow focus of clear hourglass

হৰিপদ ডেকা ফুকন আৰু নগাঁওৰ ফুকনখাত

June 23, 2025
Global Tensions Escalate Amid U.S. Strikes on Iran: A Call for Peace over War

Global Tensions Escalate Amid U.S. Strikes on Iran: A Call for Peace over War

June 23, 2025

Popular Stories

  • জ্যোতি সঙ্গীত – প্ৰথম খণ্ড

    জ্যোতি প্ৰসাদ আগৰৱালাৰ কবিতা

    12418 shares
    Share 4967 Tweet 3104
  • শ্ৰীমন্ত শংকৰদেৱৰ সাহিত্যৰাজি

    1433 shares
    Share 573 Tweet 358
  • পৰিৱেশ সুৰক্ষা আৰু আমাৰ দায়িত্ব 

    2877 shares
    Share 1151 Tweet 719
  • অসমীয়া জনজাতীয় সংস্কৃতিঃ সমন্বয় আৰু সমাহৰণ

    7261 shares
    Share 2904 Tweet 1815
  •  লাচিত : শৰাইঘাটৰ যুদ্ধ আৰু ইয়াৰ ঐতিহাসিক তাৎপৰ্য

    5569 shares
    Share 2228 Tweet 1392
  • ব্ৰিটিছ ৰাজঃ ১৯০৫ চনৰ বংগ বিভাজনত অসমৰ ভূমিপুত্ৰ সকলৰ মহৎ ভূমিকা

    183 shares
    Share 73 Tweet 46
  • Guwahati Is Sinking: 70 Years of Floods, No Lessons Learned!

    173 shares
    Share 69 Tweet 43
  • ড্ৰাগছ : এক সামাজিক ব্যাধি

    3081 shares
    Share 1232 Tweet 770
  • জ্যোতিপ্ৰসাদৰ সাংস্কৃতিক,সাহিত্যিক আৰু ৰাজনৈতিক অৱদানসমূহ

    2164 shares
    Share 866 Tweet 541
  • বিষ্ণু ৰাভাৰ কেইটিমান অমৰ সৃষ্টি

    984 shares
    Share 394 Tweet 246
Mahabahu.com

Mahabahu: An International Journal Showcasing Premium Articles and Thought-Provoking Opinions on Global Challenges—From Climate Change and Gender Equality to Economic Upliftment.

Category

Site Links

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Contact

We are Social

Instagram Facebook
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Contact

© 2021 Mahabhahu.com - All Rights Reserved. Published by Powershift | Maintained by Webx

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Oops!! The Content is Copy Protected.

Please ask permission from the Author.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News & Opinions
    • Politics
    • World
    • Business
    • National
    • Science
    • Tech
  • Mahabahu Magazine
    • December 2023 – Vol-I
    • December 2023 – Vol-II
    • November 2023 – Vol-I
    • November 2023 – Vol-II
    • October 2023 – Vol-I
    • October 2023 – Vol-II
    • September 2023 – Vol-I
    • September 2023 – Vol-II
  • Lifestyle
    • Fashion
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Food
  • Gallery
  • Mahabahu Books
    • Read Online
    • Free Downloads
  • E-Store
  • About Us

© 2021 Mahabhahu.com - All Rights Reserved. Published by Powershift | Maintained by Webx

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?
%d