The growing role of space technologies in advancing human rights and the need for Africa to play a more active role in shaping global space governance were among the issues explored by University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) academic, Dr Sheetal Soni, during a recent webinar hosted by the South African National Space Agency (SANSA).
Soni, a senior lecturer and Head of Research and Higher Degrees in the School of Law, was invited by SANSA Legal and Compliance Services to present a webinar titled, ‘Space Technologies and Human Rights: An African Perspective’.
Her presentation examined the relationship between international space law and human rights law, highlighting the contribution of satellite technologies to communications, environmental monitoring, agriculture and food security, water resource management, disaster preparedness, and access to information.
Soni noted that while these technologies can support the enjoyment of human rights, questions remain about equitable access to their benefits and accountability for their impact. “Formal access to space technologies or data does not necessarily translate into an equal capacity to benefit from them. States require scientific expertise, infrastructure, computational capacity and resources to make meaningful use of these technologies,” she explained.
Drawing on the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, Soni highlighted principles including international cooperation, state responsibility, and the requirement that the exploration and use of outer space should be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries, irrespective of their level of economic or scientific development.
She also explored the potential of space capabilities to function as a form of human-rights infrastructure. Earth observation technologies, for example, can help states identify environmental and disaster risks and strengthen their ability to protect affected communities.
At the same time, she cautioned that technological advances present new legal and ethical challenges, particularly as satellite observations are combined with large datasets and artificial intelligence. “The growing combination of satellite observations, large datasets, computational infrastructure and artificial intelligence raises important questions about privacy, surveillance, data sovereignty, commercial power and accountability,” she said.
A key focus of the presentation was the need for Africa to move beyond being a consumer of technologies and governance frameworks developed elsewhere and to contribute actively to shaping the future of space governance. “The ambition for Africa should be greater than access. It should be agency, not simply receiving the benefits of scientific progress, but helping to determine what progress itself should mean,” she said.
Soni highlighted the opportunities presented by institutions such as SANSA, the African Union, and the African Space Agency to strengthen Africa’s technological and normative contribution to the global space sector.
The webinar concluded with an engaging discussion on technological progress, human rights, and the role of African states and institutions in shaping the future of global space governance.
Words: NdabaOnline
Photograph: Supplied