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or you cannot send staff into the area. This is very often the and Research, and our financing is 100% extra-budgetary,
case in these complex emergencies. with zero dollar-core funding. Everything we do is project-
based, and we are fortunate to have donors who are interested
Therefore, the satellite images are very useful tools. We can in supporting this work. UNITAR’s budget is actually
also compare the situation before the war or when the conflict increasing.
started, and then compare it to recent images. By looking
back in time, we can also narrow down the time frame and Obviously, we could do a lot more if we had more funds, so,
find the approximate time when something was destroyed, if there are donors out there who are interested in supporting
and this enables us to know also who was in control of the the work we do on technology support to the core mandates
area at that time. of sister agencies, especially in developing countries, and
training and capacity development or protection of cultural
As we have seen in other places such as in Timbuktu, (Mali) the heritage for example, please do not hesitate to contact us. We
damage done to the cultural heritage monuments became an issue can do so much more.
at the International Criminal Court. So, being able to document
these things as they happen is very important. If you are not there The financial situation has nevertheless been relatively stable
to take the photos, or if nobody assesses the situation at the right over the last couple of years, with a foreseen growth, and we
moment and as things are unfolding, we risk not having an image cannot complain, for we are doing quite fine at the UNOSAT.
of damage until at much later stage. In the meantime, things may It goes without saying that it is hard work, and it is tough.
have changed on the ground. So, yes, it is an important technology, Of course, it is very competitive, but so far, so good. We are
and while it is used to document the damage done, even more known for delivering high-quality work.
importantly it is also an advocacy tool.
Q: For organizations or whoever wants to benefit from your
Q: Listening to you, I have an impression that this is a kind services, what do they have to do?
of spin-off of your regular work? A: They can always contact us at unosat@unitar.org We work
A: You can say that it’s a kind of a spin-off with many spin mainly with UN and governments, but have collaboration
offs. Sixteen years ago we started focusing on humanitarian agreements with both IFRC and ICRC and many more. For
projects and supporting humanitarians in situations like training we work together with the countries we train so
earthquakes, floods etc. Since then the technology has also that we can design the appropriate training curriculum for
improved. maximum impact.

We work closely with the UNHCR, looking at refugee It is important to keep in mind that capacity development
camps, helping the HCR plan and manage refugee camps. takes time. It is a long-term process, and you need to be there
We are looking at refugees and displaced persons, as well over time. This is the reason why we really encourage long-
as at capacity development for climate change adaptation to term projects. One example is the water management project
increase resilience in small island states through a project in Chad and our disaster risk reduction activities that we have
called “Common Sensing”, which is financed by the U.K. been carrying on in the east Africa for several years now.
Space Agency.
Q: Is there something else you would like to highlight?
The United Nations Secretary-General is also very supportive The UNOSAT team has been around since 2001. We have
of the use of this technology, so, for us this is absolutely provided services to the humanitarian community for many
wonderful. We are also making sure that the other United years now, but we are perhaps not the best communicators
Nations agencies have access to this information whenever nor very good at PR.
they need it. So we are working very closely with a wide range
of United Nations agencies. The reason is quite simple: when you are very busy working
with an emergency, for instance, or other difficult issues that
As I mentioned earlier, we also interact directly with can sometimes be a challenge because people’s lives are at
governments, carrying out a lot training and capacity building stake, you do not necessarily have much time to communicate.
so that they can use the technology themselves. The priorities are different! This is the reason why I am very
happy to have this opportunity to talk with you.
So, yes, I think you are perhaps right when say that the
cultural heritages project is one of the spin-offs. For us, it is I would say that being able to reach out to a wide audience
a sort of latest example of what we can do, and I’m sure there is important for us so that people can take note that there
will be more projects to come, things that we haven’t even is a satellite imagery capacity within the United Nations
thought of yet. system, ensuring neutrality and only focusing on scientific
assessment, while transferring these skills to member states
Q: Everybody is talking about the critical financial situation in that would like to benefit from such technologies.
the United Nations these days. How is your financial situation?
A: We are part of UNITAR, the UN Institute for Training

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