The Department of Politics and International Relations welcomes Kym Taylor to the first-of-its-kind UN Peace & Security Fellowship.
Research
Kym's research explores how the United Nations can strengthen the credibility and accountability of peacekeeping through more rigorous, evidence based assessment of mission wide impact. It examines how existing UN data systems can be better used to inform senior leadership decision making, assess performance across missions, and inform mandate design under growing political and financial pressure. The study aims to produce practical recommendations to improve impact assessment, the use of data, strengthen links between research and operations, and enhance the UN’s ability to explain the value and limits of peacekeeping to Member States.
Interview
What motivated you to apply for and join the Fellowship?
The Department of Peace Operations has always valued thinking and writing, and I wanted to take the time to contribute to that. Oxford University’s academic reputation was of course a motivation, but the work of the Department of Politics and International Relations, and specifically the work on peacekeeping operations, was particularly motivating. Also being part of the first cadre of peacekeeping staff to do this fellowship together is a great feeling since peacekeeping operations are full of experts who work together to achieve something bigger than what they could achieve on their own.
How do you feel about coming to Oxford to study here for eight weeks?
Excited! Eight weeks away from work is a long time but worth it for this opportunity. Working for the UN for over 20 years, it’s a wonderful privilege to take a step back from the fast-pace and constant multi-tasking of work. It feels luxurious to stop and take the time to focus on just one thing. The UN often works on issues that humanity has struggled with for a long time, and as it learns from its successes and its failures, it improves its work. My area of work on the impact of peacekeeping operations also looks at long-term trends. So studying these issues in an institution like Oxford that has been focused on the cause of learning and teaching for over 900 years is even more meaningful.
What are you most looking forward to during the programme?
Listening to the incredible variety of speakers and academics on a range of topics that Oxford University attracts, particularly the Department of Politics and International Relations. Reading and researching in the Bodleian libraries. Talking and comparing approaches with my UN Fellows. Exploring Oxford.
Could you tell us a little about your research and its aims?
My research is an extension of my work on how to support peacekeeping operations assess and improve their impact. One consequence of this work has been the centralization of peacekeeping impact data. My research aims to explore how this data can be further used to examine the impact of peacekeeping, strengthen partnerships with other tools, systems and actors, and propose an approach to strengthen linkages between research, policy, and operations.
Biography
Kym Taylor is an Australian international public servant with over two decades of experience in United Nations peace operations and governance, including roles in the field, at UN Headquarters, and with the Australian Government. Since 2015, she has served as Chief of the Evaluation Team in the UN Department of Peace Operations, leading efforts to strengthen performance, accountability, and learning across peacekeeping missions.
She has developed an innovative impact evaluation system and data platform used globally, earning international recognition, including selection at the Paris Peace Forum. Earlier, she held senior roles in UN missions in Libya and Darfur and advised on international law and human rights, holding advanced legal qualifications from the University of Cambridge and the University of Adelaide.