UNOSAT
Definition
The UNODC Satellite Centre, a UN programme that provides satellite-derived analysis in support of humanitarian and legal investigations, including imagery used for mass-grave location in conflict zones.
- Full name
- UNOSAT (UNITAR Operational Satellite Applications Programme)
- Parent body
- United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
- Core method
- Satellite and aerial imagery analysis
- Forensic use
- Mass-grave and conflict-site location, damage assessment
Common questions
How does UNOSAT imagery support a legal investigation?+
Analysts compare time-series satellite images to flag ground disturbance consistent with burial sites or destroyed structures, then hand coordinates to ground teams for ground-truthing and excavation. The imagery itself is corroborating, not conclusive, evidence.
Is UNOSAT the same body as UNODC?+
No. UNOSAT sits under UNITAR, a separate UN training and research institute, though its outputs can feed into UNODC-linked or tribunal investigations when the case involves cross-border or mass-atrocity crimes.
Related terms
- Crop Mark
- A differential growth or colour pattern in surface vegetation caused by a sub-surface soil change, including disturbance from digging, which alters moisture...
- Multi-Temporal Analysis
- Comparison of imagery acquired at different dates to detect change. A soil disturbance present in a 2009 image but absent in 2005...
- NDVI
- Normalised Difference Vegetation Index. Computed as (NIR-Red)/(NIR+Red) from multispectral imagery. Values near 1 indicate dense healthy vegetation; values near 0 indicate bare...
- Orthomosaic
- A geometrically corrected image assembled from many overlapping photographs, with a consistent scale across its extent. UAV-derived orthomosaics can be georeferenced to...
- SfM (Structure from Motion)
- A photogrammetric method that builds a 3D point cloud and orthomosaic from overlapping images by computing camera positions and feature matches. Standard...