Governance for Sustainable Peace and Development: Interdisciplinary Study Based on Network Science and Data Science

Abstract

Human security is a global concern relating to the protection and expansion of fundamental human freedoms. Focus on survival, dignity and the ability to maintain a livelihood must be central to the integrated policies that are vital to protecting human security. Many interconnecting issues form part of human security and range from topics surrounding the protection of people from poverty, violence, instability as well as tackling lack of education, healthcare and financial stability.<br/> Dr Takuto Sakamoto is part of the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Human Security Program (HSP) and has taken the approach of using cutting-edge analysis methods from data and network sciences to scrutinise and evaluate global efforts relating to human security.<br/> The team is currently focused on three sub-projects. The first of these centres on the analysis of policy discussions held by the UN Security Council (UNSC). In this, they will look in detail at the meeting records for the UNSC over the past decades. The second project uses development assistance flow data to complete a network analysis to systematically clarify the dynamics of global collaboration in various areas, including poverty reduction and infectious disease control and they will work on visualising and analysing the financial flow of humanitarian and development assistance over the last 60 years. The final pilot study investigates sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) in UN peace operations. This has become a major issue relating to UN peacekeeping operations in conflict and post- conflict areas in recent years.