Data-driven peace: The way forward for UN programming in conflict transitions

In 2020, the Data Strategy of the United Nations Secretary-General for Action by Everyone, Everywhere called upon the international community to nurture “data as a strategic asset for insight, impact and integrity.” Translating these commitments into practice remains inconsistent and inadequate, particularly in insecure contexts and with hard-to-reach populations. This challenge is evident in UN interventions to prevent and respond to armed conflict. The purpose of this workshop is to set out the priorities and address the challenges of building an integrated data structure to undergird UN efforts to support the return of conflict-affected populations and ex-associates of armed groups that are reintegrating back into civilian life.

With shifting dynamics in several contexts, the UN community may be called to provide new support or adapt current approaches in places like Syria, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Haiti, and other contexts. To implement the UN Secretary General’s Data Strategy in these – and other contexts, UN organizations need to collect better-quality data throughout the entire programming cycle; share it with coordinating UN, international, national and local actors; and operationalize findings into tailored, real-time support.

Drawing on MEAC’s Conflict Exits Assessment Framework, participants will address key issues including organizational capacity building, collecting ‘usable’ and ‘inclusive’ data, accessing vulnerable conflict-affected populations, ensuring accountability to beneficiary populations, and the politics and priorities of data-driven policy making in contexts where the UN may be asked to support return and reintegration efforts.  This workshop discussion will be synthesized in a workshop summary with recommendations and a checklist of priorities.