Serving Society with Space Data: SDG 16 - Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions seeks to promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies. This webinar highlighted projects that have incorporated Earth observation data to better understand and to take action to end violent conflict and human rights abuses around the globe. It also soughtto explore how space technology can be used for projects designed around promoting strong governmental  institutions that are responsive to their citizens.

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Objectives 

• Sharing of real-world examples of how space technologies are being used for human rights and governance projects
• How does better information lead to different policy decisions? 
• Unique considerations in this area due to the nature of observed conflict
• Is too much focus on being put on one-off event observation; how can Earth observation technology be used to longer-term monitoring?
• Highlight potential technical, legal, and other barriers that limit the operational use of Earth observations by decision-makers, project managers, and development partners
• Share pathways of collaboration and coordination/lessons learned 

Panelists 

• Jamon Van Den Hoek  leads the Conflict Ecology lab. His research seeks new insights on the agency, decision-making processes, and survival of refugees, internally displaced peoples, and others affected by violent state conflict. He maps long-term environmental change in settlements, forests, and farms using various satellite datasets to connect patterns of landscape change to processes of conflict, displacement, resilience, and peace. Jamon was a NASA Postdoctoral Fellow at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and completed his Ph.D. in Geography at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he was a National Science Foundation IGERT Fellow.
• Professor  Doreen Boyd leads the Rights Lab's Data and Measurement Programme at the University of Nottingham. Her current work uses satellite imagery and her expertise in remote sensing to map slavery from Space for the first time. She is also working on an extensive analysis of the relationship between slavery and environmental destruction. She was the recipient of the Vice Chancellor's Medal in 2018 for her Rights Lab research and leadership. 
• Einar Bjørgo oversees the Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT) and Strategic Implementation of the 2030 Agenda Unit. Since 1999 he holds a PhD in Geophysics from the University of Bergen, Norway, with focus on humanitarian applications of very high resolution satellite imagery. He has a Master of Science in Meteorology (Climate Science) and a Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California San Diego. Einar Bjørgo joined the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1999 working on integrating new technological solutions into its operations, with special focus on use of satellite imagery. In 2002 he joined UNOSAT, and has in this capacity ensured satellite image analysis is made timely available in support to humanitarian relief, sustainable development, environment, climate services, peace & security, human rights and international law, all key components of the Sustainable Development Goals. Through UNOSAT knowledge-transfer mechanisms he also supports beneficiaries from UN Member States, regional organizations, sister agencies and NGOs with training and capacity development on geospatial technologies. As of January 2018, he also oversees UNITAR’s Strategic Implementation of the 2030 Agenda Unit with a focus on integrated policy development, data and innovation in support of strengthening capacities of UN member states. He is part of the Scientific Advisory Board at the Office of the Prosecutor, International Criminal Court.
• (Moderator) Krystal Azelton oversees the Human and Environmental Security Portfolio at Secure World Foundation and has over 10 years of international and domestic space, public policy, and management experience. Prior to joining SWF, she served as a project manager at the Tauri Group, a leading aerospace analytics firm, providing research, analysis, strategic planning, and regulatory assessment to government and commercial clients. She led and supported the production of NASA’s strategic plans, audits, performance plans, budgets, and annual reports. Her work exposed to the full range of NASA’s Earth observation, human exploration, and aviation programs. Previously, Ms. Azelton was in the field of international development as a Monitoring and Evaluation Manager at Development Alternatives, Inc in Afghanistan working on US military and local government initiatives and as Senior Program Assistant at the National Democratic Institute in Africa and Washington, DC working on sustainable governance projects. In those roles, she worked closely with the United Nations, the World Bank, the Department of State, the Department of Defense, US and international nonprofits, and others.