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Microsoft Commits $5 Million To 'Landmark' United Nations Technology Partnership (venturebeat.com)

Posted by msmash on from the going-forward dept.

Microsoft and the United Nations (UN) have announced a five-year "landmark" partnership to develop technology to "better predict, analyze and respond to critical human rights situations," according to a statement issued today. From a report: Additionally, Microsoft will support work being carried out by the UN Human Rights Office by contributing $5 million to a grant in what the UN called an "unprecedented level of support" from a private organization. An example of the kind of technology the duo have been working on is an information dashboard called Rights View that gives UN employees access to real-time aggregated data on rights violations by country. This, it's hoped, will "facilitate analysis, ensure early warning of emerging critical issues, and provide data to guide responses," according to Microsoft.

21 comments

  1. 5 million is unprecedented? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Really.

    1. Re:5 million is unprecedented? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      from a non government body yeah! you don't see many private organisations lining up to fund the UN.

  2. OOOOPS! HE DID IT AGAIN! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Way to go, Donald.

  3. I thought it was a typo, but it's not by Anubis+IV · · Score: 1

    That's "million". That's with an "m" not a "b". With all this talk of it being a "landmark" partnership and whatnot, I figured it was supposed to be a "b", but the article says "million" as well.

    So, $5M, which is about enough to pay the salaries of, say, 100 people working for one year, or 20 people working for five years? Don't get me wrong, that's great and all, and the cause is good, but it seems as if whoever wrote this press release is laying the hyperbole on thick.

    1. Re:I thought it was a typo, but it's not by mspohr · · Score: 1, Offtopic

      The $5 million will be paid in copies of Windows XP which will be distributed to underdeveloped Microsoft markets and will serve as vectors for the next malware attack, forcing them to "upgrade" to the next version of Microsoft malware host software.

      --
      I don't read your sig. Why are you reading mine?
  4. Oh please. by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 1

    I'm sure they'll be spending $20M to advertise how great they are for doing this.

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
  5. Re:M$? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You know Seinfeld ended over two decades ago, right? I really don't think they're looking for more scripts.

  6. UNs Purpose by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wasn't the UN designed to prevent another world war? How does this serve that purpose?

    1. Re:UNs Purpose by Jzanu · · Score: 1

      Human Rights violations have always been a hallmark of dictatorships - Assad, Saddam, Pol Pot, Duvalier, Milosevic, Mao, Hitler, Stalin, etc. Recognizing the occurrence in isolated regions and linking them spatially allows for faster and more targeted intervention to stop genocide sooner. Democracies don't fight democracies, and modern wars are always as a late response to the barbarism of a dictatorship. $5 million isn't much, and I hope the Gates foundation follows up on this with a lot more funding over time.

    2. Re:UNs Purpose by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And what, exactly hast the UN done to prevent dictators and genocide in the past? Do you really think a power point presentation is the solution?

      The big world players don't care about genocide and position dictators like chess pawns.

      There are more effective things the UN could be spending $5 million on.

    3. Re:UNs Purpose by Jzanu · · Score: 2

      Don't be an idiot. You need to brush up on peace keeping and peace enforcement missions. There have been quite a few, and many current ones. Information technology is a force multiplier and it is essential to allow field workers to communicate effectively.

  7. Good. by SeattleLawGuy · · Score: 1

    Good. If you ever actually study human rights, you'll discover it's terrible in a way you can hardly conceptualize. Doing what we can to reduce problems like state-sanctioned torture, the modern-day slave trade, the kidnapping and elimination of those who speak out against tyrants, the use of rape as a weapon of war, the genocides we see today, and many other very basic problems should be a core priority of the United Nations. It is an effort that people and businesses and political parties of all stripes should stand behind.

    You can choose to shout "SJWs" or "hate of anything microsoft related" or everything else we expect to see on slashdot threads like this. But this is a good thing.

    --
    Real lawyers write in C++
    1. Re:Good. by drinkypoo · · Score: 0

      It's conceptually a good idea, but if Microsoft were a person it would be a career criminal. I'd suspect that the software would be subject to all kinds of nasty biases.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    2. Re:Good. by chipschap · · Score: 1

      You can choose to shout "SJWs" or "hate of anything microsoft related" or everything else we expect to see on slashdot threads like this. But this is a good thing.

      Unarguably so, and I'm glad they're doing something good with some of their money. I'm generally anti-MS but we need to be fair. And we can still be anti-MS: if a truly evil murderous dictator gave money to build an orphanage, that's a good thing, but it doesn't make up for everything else. But I'd rather they did the one good thing than nothing at all.

    3. Re:Good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can choose to shout "SJWs" or "hate of anything microsoft related" or everything else we expect to see on slashdot threads like this. But this is a good thing.

      Unarguably so, and I'm glad they're doing something good with some of their money. I'm generally anti-MS but we need to be fair. And we can still be anti-MS: if a truly evil murderous dictator gave money to build an orphanage, that's a good thing, but it doesn't make up for everything else. But I'd rather they did the one good thing than nothing at all.

      I'd rather have have nothing at all. If there was no truly evil murderous dictatorial behavior there may be no need for an orphanage.

    4. Re:Good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Doing what we can to reduce problems like state-sanctioned torture, the kidnapping and elimination of those who speak out against tyrants,

      How dare you to question the methods utilized by our "State Department" (US) and those of our allies and trading partners in the past and present!!??? ;)

  8. YES! exactly this! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm also sure MS will get "good will" in return that will pay many times that. Even without corruption, all things being equal, the company who has the best PR will have an edge in decision making.

    The U.N. runs on government but it does surprise me that they've managed to keep corporate sponsorship away so well that 5 Million is a huge deal.

  9. Garbage in, garbage out by manu0601 · · Score: 1

    I understand the biggest problem with human right violations is not to display them on screen, but to investigate them. If investigation is weak, the beautiful IT system will work in "garbage in, garbage out" mode

  10. Microsoft infecting humanity. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Nothing new, so far. Disgusting as usual.

  11. Blech by Jiro · · Score: 1

    This office is led by Prince Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein of Jordan.

    Wikipedia link for human rights in Jordan.

    Not as bad as some other UN human rights organizations, but it still doesn't sound very good.