Senator Markey has made it a priority to ensure that the United States acts as a leader in human rights. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Markey has made it a priority to ensure that the United States acts as a leader in human rights and impose enforceable sanctions on violators. He strongly opposes torture and arbitrary detention. He was the first member of Congress to introduce legislation banning the outsourcing of terror, known as extraordinary rendition. He supports the closure of Guantanamo, and has voted in support of removing restrictions on the ability to transfer cleared detainees. He advocates on behalf of constituents wrongfully-detained overseas, and works to ensure that trade agreements require strong safeguards for human rights and labor rights.

Senator Markey has led the effort to hold the Burmese government accountable for atrocities against the Rohingya and has called for the release of Burmese political prisoners. He has advocated on behalf of pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong and helped pass the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act which reaffirms U.S. commitment to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. He has worked to hold the Chinese government accountable for its horrific human rights abuses of the Uyghurs and passed a bipartisan resolution to condemn the human rights abuses in the Philippines, including the detention of journalists who are critical of the Duterte government.

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