How Technology is Transforming Global Treaties

The Intersection of Technology and Global Politics

The TechCrunch Global Affairs Project is dedicated to analyzing the growing connection between the technology industry and the world of international politics.

Treaties in the Digital Age

The term “treaties” often evokes images of historical documents. However, much like other facets of commerce and society, technology is fundamentally altering the methods by which treaties are observed and upheld. This shift carries significant consequences for international law and global governance.

Understanding International Treaties

Treaties are defined as legally enforceable agreements forged between nations. Virtually any significant global challenge or concern is likely addressed by an existing treaty.

Areas governed by these international agreements include climate change, biodiversity preservation, human rights, refugee protection, labor standards, maritime shipping, transnational criminal activity, and fisheries management. Most countries, including the United States, participate in these treaties.

Treaties are foundational to global governance, serving as the basis for many of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Challenges in Treaty Enforcement

Effective treaty implementation relies on the ability to rapidly and precisely determine adherence and outcomes. Historically, this has proven difficult. Those who violate agreements are naturally inclined to conceal their actions.

Even in collaborative areas, such as scientific data collection and evaluation, data that is imprecise, infrequent, or inaccurate can hinder a signatory’s ability to assess problem evolution or the effectiveness of implemented solutions.

Accurate monitoring is crucial for ensuring treaties achieve their intended objectives.

The Age of Big Data

A significant challenge is being addressed through collaborative efforts spanning numerous international agreements. Research groups are now leveraging innovative technologies to foster productive environments that yield unprecedented volumes of data and insights into foundational circumstances and outcome assessments.

The proliferation of technology is resulting in exponential growth in data volumes. Extensive networks of instruments and computational resources are being implemented globally. Scientific organizations and governmental bodies are increasingly integrating remote sensing technologies, Earth observation (EO) satellites, cloud computing infrastructure, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and advanced modeling and visualization software.

Improvements in our capacity to process and analyze these datasets are bringing us closer to providing timely, worldwide, and highly accurate information as never before.

Although each technology offers distinct advantages, the true potential lies in their synergistic application. This combined approach facilitates the creation of what can be termed “intelligent treaty systems.”

Components of Intelligent Treaty Systems

These systems are built upon a foundation of interconnected technologies. Remote sensing and Earth observation (EO) satellites provide a continuous stream of data regarding environmental conditions and changes.

Cloud computing offers the scalable infrastructure needed to store and process these massive datasets efficiently. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms are then employed to identify patterns, predict trends, and extract meaningful insights.

Finally, modeling and visualization tools translate complex data into understandable formats, enabling informed decision-making.

Key Benefits

• Enhanced Monitoring: Real-time data allows for continuous tracking of treaty compliance.
• Improved Accuracy: Advanced analytics minimize errors and provide more reliable assessments.
• Faster Response Times: Near real-time insights enable quicker responses to emerging challenges.
• Increased Transparency: Data-driven evidence promotes trust and accountability.

The integration of these technologies represents a paradigm shift in how international agreements are monitored and enforced. It allows for a more proactive and data-driven approach, ultimately strengthening global cooperation.

Anti-fishing Technology and Global Monitoring

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is crucial for protecting the variety of life on Earth, promoting sustainable practices, and ensuring equitable benefit-sharing. Researchers studying flora and fauna utilize camera traps and microphones in remote areas. These devices transmit data regarding animal movements through cellular networks to cloud storage.

A single camera can generate up to 50 TB of data annually. Consequently, deep learning methods are employed to analyze this extensive data and generate maps detailing species’ habitats and population sizes. Similar techniques are used in Costa Rica, where drones equipped with video cameras monitor sea turtle migration routes.

Deep learning algorithms, specifically trained for this purpose, identify individual turtles from the drone footage. Furthermore, citizen scientists contribute significantly by recording and uploading animal sightings to mobile web platforms like Merlin. This collaborative approach expands the scope of data collection.

Data Repositories and International Collaboration

Information gathered from these diverse sources is consolidated and shared with the Global Biodiversity Informatics Facility, located in Copenhagen. This intergovernmental organization serves as a central repository for global biodiversity data.

Since 2007, the number of records held by the Facility has increased tenfold, now exceeding two billion entries. This wealth of data and ongoing research directly supports the work of the International Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, a key scientific body for the CBD.

Combating Illegal Fishing with AIS Technology

Conservation efforts extend to marine environments, leveraging the Automatic Identification System (AIS) originally designed for ship safety. AIS transponders provide comprehensive global data on vessel activity, aiding in the fight against illegal fishing practices.

Organizations like Global Fishing Watch analyze AIS satellite data, obtained from companies such as ORBCOMM, utilizing deep learning to identify and map instances of illegal fishing worldwide. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are also used to detect vessels that deliberately disable their AIS systems to avoid detection.

Mine Action and Geospatial Databases

Beyond environmental concerns, satellite technology supports the goals of the Anti-Personnel Landmine Ban Convention. Earth observation data is integrated into a dedicated geospatial database and mapping platform managed by ESRI, known as the Information Management System for Mine Action.

This platform creates maps of areas contaminated with landmines. Individuals can also contribute information regarding mine-affected regions through web-based platforms. Mine remediation specialists enhance these maps with detailed data collected from sources like drones equipped with ground penetrating radar (GPR) and even trained rats fitted with RFID collars.

Technicians then employ specialized machinery that combines GPR and robotics to locate – often using AI and ML – and safely destroy individual landmines.

Documenting Human Rights Violations

Recent governmental actions against the Rohingya community in Myanmar demonstrate technology’s increasing role in exposing and documenting hidden human rights abuses and breaches of refugee treaties. Researchers have utilized Earth observation data to monitor troop movements and gather evidence of expulsions, village destruction, and mass killings.

Photographs and videos submitted by individuals via mobile phones are securely channeled through cloud platforms like the Eyewitness to Atrocities portal. Machine learning and artificial intelligence automate the analysis of both Earth observation data and video imagery.

Organizations such as Amnesty International and SITU Research aggregate this data to create virtual reality visualizations of locations where violations occurred. This evidence, including Earth observation data, was presented in the Gambia v. Myanmar case before the International Court of Justice.

Furthermore, a substantial collection of hate speech found on Facebook, believed to have incited attacks on the Rohingya, is being gathered and analyzed using machine learning for use in the same legal proceedings.

Potential Benefits and Drawbacks

While significant advancements have been made, sophisticated treaty frameworks leveraging technology remain in their developmental stages and are largely experimental. However, there's growing acknowledgment of the benefits technology offers, suggesting it will fundamentally reshape existing systems. Undoubtedly, several obstacles need addressing to fully unlock technology’s capabilities.

Simply possessing scientific knowledge is insufficient; governmental action and adherence to treaty commitments are crucial for impactful change. A key concern lies in the regulatory risks surrounding data security and individual privacy, particularly concerning human rights and vulnerable groups. Safeguards are essential to guarantee data is handled with discretion and, whenever feasible, anonymously.

The development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) also presents challenges. The proposed EU AI regulation aims to prohibit the deployment of specific technologies, like biometric identification in public areas. This regulation, mirroring the impact of the General Data Protection Regulation, will extend beyond European borders.

Furthermore, despite the established practice of open data within the public geospatial sector, integrating the increasing volume of private sector geospatial data into global governance initiatives requires focused effort.

Traditionally, treaties are products of diplomatic negotiation and are often perceived as inflexible. However, the application of technology demonstrates a fluid, organic process of self-regulation driven by diverse groups spanning the public, private, nonprofit, and academic realms.

These collaborative endeavors are poised to make substantial contributions, offering optimism regarding our collective capacity to address numerous critical global issues.