Problems from Hell, Solution in the Heavens?: Identifying Obstacles and Opportunities for Employing Geospatial Technologies to Document and Mitigate Mass Atrocities

Ben Yunmo Wang ,Nathaniel A Raymond ,Gabrielle Gould ,Isaac Baker

doi:10.5334/sta.cn

Abstract

At the evolving frontier of modern humanitarianism, non-governmental organizations are using satellite technology to monitor mass atrocities. As a documentation tool, satellites have the potential to collect important real-time evidence for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. However, the field remains experimental and ill-defined, while useful court evidence cannot be produced without a standard methodology and code of ethics. Members of the groundbreaking Satellite Sentinel Project review the historical development of satellite documentation and some of its landmark projects, and propose necessary measures to advance the field forward.

Highlights

Satellite imagery, as a type of remote sensing technology, can provide accurate and detailed information of a specific geographic region anywhere on Earth in a relatively short period of time
The first entities who have had access to this asset, satellite imagery has traditionally been employed for intelligence gathering and military planning purposes
This paper identifies operational feasibility, data reliability, and legal admissibility as the three key criteria that should be used to determine whether and how satellite imagery can be employed to document alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity

Summary

PRACTICE NOTE

Problems from Hell, Solution in the Heavens?: Identifying Obstacles and Opportunities for Employing Geospatial Technologies to Document and Mitigate Mass Atrocities. At the evolving frontier of modern humanitarianism, non-governmental organizations are using satellite technology to monitor mass atrocities. Satellites have the potential to collect important real-time evidence for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. The field remains experimental and ill-defined, while useful court evidence cannot be produced without a standard methodology and code of ethics. Members of the groundbreaking Satellite Sentinel Project review the historical development of satellite documentation and some of its landmark projects, and propose necessary measures to advance the field forward

Introduction

Human Rights Watch