Page 19 - Coespu Magazine 2018-2

frameworks, the use of military assets, or exchange of information about geographical or
thematic areas of concern.
The benefits of coordination within the context of an integrated UN presence are clear in all
areas including information sharing, common situational awareness, planning, division of
tasks or the use of resources.
Information
sharing helps
all actors on the
ground function
together in a
structured,
coherent and
systematic way.
Each actor has
different
elements of
information to
share, different
ways of sharing
it and different
restrictions to
do so.
Information
exchange is
essential at all levels, face-to-face or through the plethora of available online tools. The
clearer we are about what we can share and what may be useful for us to obtain, the more
consistently we can share information and manage expectations.
A common situational awareness allows us to have a shared understanding and interpretation
of the context and situation and to find our place within existing structures. This can be life-
saving, for those bringing aid and those receiving it, particularly in conflict settings.
Coordinated planning for a UN integrated presence takes place at UN HQ through an
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institutionalized process between the DPKO and relevant humanitarian organizations.
Coordinated planning will also result in more effective use of resources, be they human,
logistical or financial.
A clear division of tasks avoids mixing up, duplicating or stepping into each other’s mandates,
all of which could compromise humanitarian work and principles.
From a UN-CMCoord perspective, a definition of the relationship between humanitarian
organizations and the police is to be developed. With the UN SG reform, we are likely to see
a stronger police role in UN missions, whether as Formed Police Units or unarmed UN Police
Officers. We need to ask the question whether we should have dedicated coordination

3
United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations

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