The showcases innovation and digital transformation initiatives from across the United Nations system. Among the featured contributions, UN peacekeeping’s work stands out for its focus on operational efficiency, delivery, and responsible use of digital tools — translating innovation into tangible results for missions on the ground.
Across peacekeeping operations, innovation is increasingly about solving practical challenges and making better use of limited resources.
One example highlighted in the "Update" is UN peacekeeping’s innovation sprints, which bring together field missions, academia, and private sector partners to co?create digital solutions. Through formats ranging from hackathons to accelerators, teams have developed prototypes addressing real operational needs in missions such as UNMISS, UNFICYP, UNMAS, and OMA, with several solutions now progressing toward deployment.
The Quarterly UN Innovation Update also highlights efforts to strengthen data foundations for peacekeeping. Common governance approaches for digital initiatives, shared data standards, and a mission data toolkit have been established to map priority datasets and improve data discoverability. These measures support informed decision?making while reducing duplication and fragmentation across missions.
On the operational side, digital workflow pilots in UNMISS, UNISFA, and MINUSCA have introduced automation across selected data collection and field reporting processes. As pilot initiatives, these workflows have already saved more than 200 hours of staff time, demonstrating clear efficiency gains and a basis for future scaling.
UN peacekeeping’s approach to responsible AI adoption makes an appearance, as well. More than 175 personnel have been trained to apply tools such as Copilot in their daily work. AI use cases are currently being piloted in UNFICYP and MINUSCA, ensuring innovation is accompanied by safeguards, skills development, and operational relevance.
Together, these examples reflect how UN peacekeeping is contributing to system?wide transformation. We are focusing on solutions that are practical, scalable, and delivery?oriented, while strengthening accountability to Member States and partners.
