Organisations collaborate to enhance use of technology to promote and protect human rights
Toby Ingleton |
Microsoft has entered a new partnership with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The partnership will have a strong focus on the use of advanced technology to help the UN Human Rights Office better predict, analyse and respond to critical situations.
The new agreement will build on an existing relationship between the two organisations, which has a focus on using technology to promote and protect human rights.
Microsoft will also provide a grant to support the office’s important work. This grant Microsoft will be used to help establish technology that has a positive impact and advances the mission of the UN Human Rights Office.
One such example is Rights View, a dashboard that provides Human Rights Office staff with data and information on types of rights violations and the situation in specific countries, all in real time. This tool is powered by the cloud and big data analytics, and will provide vital information to staff who can then act accordingly and quickly.
Microsoft will also work with the UN Humans Rights Office to help encourage more companies to promote broader adoption and implementation of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
“This could be a truly groundbreaking agreement,” said Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. “We live in a rapidly evolving age, where technology can either be used to solve human rights problems or misused to erode human rights. Similarly, companies can infringe people’s rights, or they can be a major progressive force.”
“As a global company that sees the problems of the world, we believe that we have a responsibility to help solve them,” said Brad Smith, Microsoft President. “We have an untapped opportunity to use the power of technology to collect data, analyse that data and equip the United Nations to advance human rights around the world.”