Over the years Microsoft has learned the importance of government lobbying, and today Microsoft’s Vice President for UN Affairs, John Frank, explained the goals of their mission to the United Nations.
Microsoft opened its United Nations representation office earlier this year, with Microsoft spending the last few months building relationships with the UN community and expanding Microsoft’s engagements.
Microsoft’s aims are to help recruit governments to advance its six key priorities:
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Human rights, ensuring technology protects and empowers everyone, all peoples and all nations, and exploits no one
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Environmental sustainability, curbing emissions to foster a more sustainable future, reducing waste, promoting new approaches to ensure access to clean drinking water, and preserving and protecting the biodiversity and health of the world’s ecosystems
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Defending democracy and cyberpeace, promoting strong democratic institutions and electoral systems and advocating for clear rules of the road for state actors in cyberspace
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Decent work and economic growth, helping 25 million people worldwide acquire the digital skills needed in a recovering economy
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Quality education, launching global platforms to support remote learning and help address the education crisis
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Broadband availability and accessibility, building out internet access to 40 million people across Africa, Latin America and Asia by 2022
Today, at the 75th UN General Assembly, Microsoft is engaging by hosting a series of events around each of these six priority topics during high-level week. Microsoft will also be participating in UN-sponsored events as well as joining others’ virtual programming, including Concordia’s 10th Annual Summit.
Microsoft says many of the big challenges facing society today can only be addressed effectively through multi-stakeholder action. Whether it’s public health, environmental sustainability, cybersecurity, terrorist content online or the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, Microsoft believes they need both international cooperation among governments and inclusive initiatives that bring in civil society and private sector organizations to collaborate on solutions.
Microsoft has partnered with GZERO Media and Eurasia Group to provide briefings, analysis and debate on the most pressing issues facing the 75th UN General Assembly. You can follow their activities
here.
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