Microsoft Global Human Rights Statement
Information technology is transforming human experiences at an accelerating pace. As technology
evolves, it touches lives in new ways. The statement explains how Microsoft is committed to
respecting and promoting human rights, to ensure that technology plays a positive role across the
globe.
Our commitment
Microsoft is committed to respecting human rights. We respect human rights by seeking to avoid
infringing on the rights of others and working to address adverse human rights impacts with which we
are involved. Microsoft also commits to promoting human rights. We do this by harnessing the
beneficial power of technology to help realize and sustain human rights everywhere.
We expect employees, partners, suppliers, customers and governments to share this commitment to
ensure that information technology and our business respects and promotes human rights.
Foundational principles
Our approach to human rights issues is based on:
The power of technology to promote human rights: Technology is increasingly an essential gateway
to the enjoyment of human rights everywhere. Governments, civil society, businesses and individuals
have a responsibility to apply the power of technology to enable all individuals to achieve their full
potential and protect their human rights. Our global public policy supports the use of technology to
advance human rights and we are committed to driving technology forward without leaving anyone
behind.
Good governance and the rule of law: Microsoft supports human rights by promoting good
governance and the rule of law around the world. Advancing good governance and the rule of law is
an important aspect of corporate responsibility. Both are vitally important to human rights. For
example, good governance and the rule of law lead to reliable enforcement of labor and
environmental laws and promote justice and national security systems that maintain an appropriate
balance between protecting people’s safety and protecting people’s rights from government
infringement. Microsoft advocates across the globe for public policies and laws that promote
innovation while protecting human rights.
Engagement: We can more effectively respect human rights through our presence in, rather than
absence from, countries with significant human rights challenges. Responsible engagement with
people and governments in these difficult environments often holds greater promise for advancement
of human rights, especially in the medium- and long-term.
Key factors in making this approach a success include the use of a multi-stakeholder engagement,
including engagement with local stakeholder groups, using our leverage to influence other primary
actors, and undertaking due diligence to identify and mitigate potential human rights impacts.
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A global approach: Business approaches to human rights should be based on internationally
recognized standards. Microsoft respects the human rights defined in the following declaration and
covenants:
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Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
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International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;
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International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Our business operations are informed by the human rights guidelines described in the following
documents:
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International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and
Rights at Work;
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Children’s Rights and Business Principles;
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OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
We are also members of:
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Global Network Initiative;
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Women’s Empowerment Principles
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United Nations Global Compact.
As a global Information and Communications Technology (ICT) company operating in more than 100
countries, we respect all human rights - civil, political, economic, social, and cultural.
Key areas of impact
Microsoft can best meet its responsibility to respect human rights through our work in five key areas:
Our policies and practices on government demands: Our commitment to the rule of law requires us
to comply with local law where we do business. When we face requirements from governments to
provide user data or remove content, we respect and protect privacy rights and freedom of
expression by verifying whether the government demands are valid, binding and otherwise comply
with the rule of law. We also assess whether the local law is consistent with international law and
international human rights norms.
Our products: As a reflection of our commitment to human rights and to our billions of users,
Microsoft seeks to provide products and services that empower everyone, across all abilities,
languages, origins or other statuses. Many of our products, including but not limited to Bing, Office,
Outlook and Skype foster free expression as an enabling technology, and provide controls to help
users protect their privacy. Our products are offered in over 100 local languages. We prioritize
accessibility in the design and development of products, using inclusive design principles to meet our
commitment of creating and delivering technology that empowers people with disabilities.
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Our partnerships: We are strongest when we work together, so partnerships and multi-stakeholder
collaborations are at the heart of our efforts. Respecting the entire spectrum of human rights can be
challenging for a business as diverse as Microsoft, which also has billions of globally dispersed rights
holders.
Societies across the globe differently strike the balance between respect for internet technology users’
rights and governmental efforts to maximize public safety. To help us achieve a dynamic balance
among inevitable tensions in a principled way, Microsoft works in partnership with industry and multistakeholder groups. We were early signatories to the United Nations Global Compact and we are a
founding member of the Global Network Initiative (GNI), a collaborative effort among ICT companies,
civil society organizations, socially responsible investors, and academics. Microsoft subscribes to the
GNI Principles and Implementation Guidelines, which provide practical steps and policies that ICT
companies can adopt to respect and advance the freedom of expression and privacy rights of their
users.
Our employees: We respect the rights of our employees in accordance with the ILO Declaration on
Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Microsoft policies that incorporate these protections
include our Equal Employment Opportunity Policy, Anti-Discrimination and Harassment Policy, and
our Standards of Business Conduct. These policies are complemented by a full range of programs
that support the well-being of our employees and their family members, including employee benefits
focused on health, personal wellness, parental leave, diversity and inclusion, and education.
Our suppliers: Our human rights commitment extends to our thousands of suppliers. All Microsoft
suppliers must agree to and abide by our Supplier Code of Conduct, which protects workers’ rights by
setting clear standards for ethical business practices, employment practices, and compliance with
environmental and worker safety requirements. We apply risk-based approaches for the responsible
management of our suppliers, we require all suppliers to complete a mandatory Supplier Code of
Conduct training, and we regularly audit them to ensure our Code is being met.
Through our Responsible Sourcing of Raw Materials policy, Microsoft is committed to the human
rights, labor, health and safety, environment, and ethics associated with the harvesting, extraction and
transportation of raw materials as a global responsibility applicable to all substances used in our
products unbounded by specific materials or locations. This commitment includes our efforts working
toward the use of conflict-free minerals in our devices. Addressing the most entrenched human rights
problems in complex supply chains is a shared responsibility, often requiring industry-wide and multistakeholder approaches.
Operational principles
We work to meet our responsibilities to respect human rights by:
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Embedding respect for human rights throughout Microsoft;
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Clearly stating our human rights policies and advancing these policies through our business
operations, practices and programs;
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Conducting due diligence to proactively identify and address human rights risks in our
operations, supply chains and business relationships;
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Proactively engaging directly with stakeholders and rights holders to obtain input to help
evolve our approach over time;
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Engaging in public policy discussions on the responsible use of technology by companies and
governments across the globe;
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Actively participating in relevant collaborative initiatives, such as the UN Global Compact; the
Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC); the Global Network Initiative; the Global
Initiative for Inclusive ICTs (G3ict); and the WePROTECT Global Alliance to End Child
Exploitation Online;
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Partnering with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR) to support their work;
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Communicating annually on the work we are doing to meet our human rights responsibilities
through our annual CSR reporting and other channels, including our Digital Trust Reports;
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Ensuring accountability by providing effective grievance mechanisms and access to remedy in
situations where Microsoft may have caused or contributed to an adverse human rights
impact; and,
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Regularly reviewing and updating our policies, processes and management systems to
respond to evolving best practices and stakeholders’ needs.
Vulnerable groups: In meeting our commitment to respect human rights, we give special
consideration to vulnerable groups such as children, women, and persons with disabilities. We strive
to ensure that our technology, business activities, and employment practices are respectful of the
human rights of all individuals and empower every person to achieve more, consistent with the
relevant human rights defined in the:
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Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women;
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Convention on the Rights of the Child;
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Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Promoting human rights: Going beyond our commitment to respect human rights, we work to foster
economic growth and individual opportunity by bringing enabling technologies to billions of people.
We promote human rights through partnerships that seek to leverage our leading-edge technology
and strength in innovation.
We also partner with law enforcement agencies around the world to protect individuals’ online and
physical safety. Through our own initiatives and in partnerships with other stakeholders, we promote
human rights by highlighting the principles of:
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Good governance;
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Rule of law, informed by consideration of international norms; and
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Transparency in law enforcement, in protection of public safety, and in other governmental
actions.
Microsoft donates products to empower nonprofit organizations throughout the world to be
successful and reach their full potential. By offering our cloud services and software for free or
significant discount to eligible nonprofits, we enable human rights organizations around the world to
advance their missions.
At times of natural disasters or humanitarian crises, we help impacted communities access technology
and information when and where they need it most.
We are committed to closing the opportunity gap that many young people face today through
Microsoft programs focused on technology education in underserved and underrepresented
communities.
Internal governance: The Regulatory and Public Policy Committee of Microsoft’s Board of Directors is
responsible for reviewing Microsoft's corporate responsibility policies and programs including human
rights. Microsoft’s President and Chief Legal Officer oversees the implementation of these policies
working within the Microsoft Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs division. The Microsoft Technology
and Human Rights Center coordinates our efforts to identify, address and report our human rights
risks and opportunities, promotes the role of technology in protecting human rights, and fosters
dialogue on these issues with human rights experts and stakeholders.
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