The Impact of New Technologies on Peace, Security, and Development

Seventh ICM Retreat Examines the Impact of New Technology on Peace, Security, and DevelopmentRead more

As new technologies, tied together by the Internet, have spread around the world, the considerable governance and security challenges that they bring in their wake have also gained new prominence. Their potential remains relatively untapped, and its constraints are continuously pushed back to the benefit— and sometimes to the detriment—of development. Is there a role for the multilateral system in the management and implementation of new technologies? Should it learn to channel innovation (…)

Public Consultation on the Impact of New Technologies on Peace, Security, and DevelopmentRead more

The ICM hosted a public consultation on May 12th on its discussion paper: “The Impact of New Technologies on Peace, Security, and Development.”
Watch the webcast:
A new wave of technology is driving rapid global change. This change has created new opportunities for multilateral cooperation in the areas of sustainable development, state-society relations, peace and security, and global governance. Yet, with these opportunities comes the challenge of keeping up with the pace of change (…)

Interviews

Closing the Skills Gap in Tech Jobs: Q&A with Matt StempeckRead more

A large skills gap is preventing workers from filling the thousands of jobs available in the technology sector, according to Matt Stempeck, Director of Civic Technology at Microsoft.
Mr. Stempeck spoke to the Independent Commission on Multilateralism’s Warren Hoge on how companies like Microsoft are working toward addressing the problem and how the model can be applied around the world.
The conversation took place on the margins of the ICM’s retreat on engaging, supporting, and (…)

Technophobic UN Peace Operations Get Up To Speed: Q&A with Walter DornRead more

While there’s been progress to bring technology into United Nations peacekeeping, in general the UN has been off the pace in this regard, according to Walter Dorn, Professor of Defense Studies at the Royal Military College of Canada.
Countries would bring new technologies to UN missions but would leave with them when they left, he said, describing the history of adoption as “sporadic.”
Mr. Dorn spoke to International Peace Institute Senior Adviser Warren Hoge on the sidelines of ICM’s (…)

Democracy in the Digital Age: Q&A with Anja KovacsRead more

Democracy, as we understand it traditionally, has to be updated and changed for the digital age, said Anja Kovacs, Director of the Internet Democracy Project. The Internet, Ms. Kovacs explained, has upset the traditional social contract that existed between the state and citizens.
“What you see now with the advent of technology, especially driven by the Internet, is that states now have another very important power that is unprecedented in a way, and that is the power of mass (…)