With an independent source of information, UN fact-finding missions could exercise a greater degree of autonomy from the host population and governing authority. While satellite imagery would not provide all of the answers, it could provide sufficient information for the UN commanders to ask local authorities the right questions and lead personnel in the right direction to determine whether UN mission objectives and government promises were being fulfilled on the ground. The use of high-resolution imaging in the visible and infrared for these applications depends on low cloud coverage and the absence of thick foliage. This assumes that the areal coverage and jurisdiction of each remote sensing system includes the strategic portions of the other state. The trick is to get a satellite to view the right place at the right time.
Timing is probably the most important factor in information gathering.
More than the technical capabilities of the sensor, it can make the difference between valuable and useless knowledge. In peacetime or in a protracted crisis, images could be incorporated into intelligence analyses in a timely manner.