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Founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007, we are independent global leaders working together for peace and human rights

News & Insight
Who We Are
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Ban Ki-moon

Deputy Chair

Former UN Secretary-General and former South Korean Foreign Minister; championed the world’s vulnerable by putting Sustainable Development, climate change, and gender equality at the top of the UN agenda.

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Lakhdar Brahimi

Former Algerian freedom fighter, Foreign Minister, conflict mediator and UN diplomat; an expert in peacekeeping and post-conflict reconstruction.

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Gro Harlem Brundtland

First woman Prime Minister of Norway; a medical doctor who champions health as a human right; put sustainable development on the international agenda.

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Zeid Raad Al Hussein

Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; champion of international justice and multilateralism; veteran Jordanian diplomat and peacekeeping expert.

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Hina Jilani

Pioneering lawyer and pro-democracy campaigner; a leading activist in Pakistan's women's movement and international champion of human rights.

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Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Former President of Liberia and Africa’s first elected female head of state; Nobel Peace Laureate; a leading promoter of peace, justice and democratic rule; a voice for freedom and advocate for health for all.

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Ricardo Lagos

Former President of Chile; tenacious fighter for democracy and human rights; implemented health reform; and reduced economic inequality while diversifying Chile’s external trade in the era of globalisation.

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Graça Machel

Deputy Chair

International advocate for women’s and children's rights; former freedom fighter and first Education Minister of Mozambique.

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Juan Manuel Santos

Former President of Colombia; a Nobel Peace Laureate who led complex peace negotiations, ending over 50 years of intractable civil war.

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Mary Robinson

Chair of The Elders

First woman President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; Chair of The Elders; a passionate, forceful advocate for gender equality, women’s participation in peace-building and human dignity.

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Ernesto Zedillo

Former President of Mexico who led profound democratic and social reforms; economist and advocate of multilateralism, inclusive globalisation, nuclear non-proliferation and drug policy reform.

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Martti Ahtisaari

Elder Emeritus

Former President of Finland; Nobel Peace Laureate and expert in international peace mediation, diplomacy and post-conflict state building.

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Ela Bhatt

Elder Emeritus

The ‘gentle revolutionary’; a pioneer in women’s empowerment and grassroots development, founder of the more than 1 million-strong Self-Employed Women’s Association in India.

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Fernando Henrique Cardoso

Elder Emeritus

Former President of Brazil; implemented major land reform programme, reduced poverty and significantly improved health and education; an acclaimed sociologist and global advocate for drug policy reform.

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Jimmy Carter

Elder Emeritus

Former President of the United States, Nobel Peace Laureate and veteran peace negotiator; dedicated to advancing peace, democracy and health worldwide.

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Desmond Tutu

Elder Emeritus

Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town and Nobel Peace Laureate; a veteran anti-apartheid activist and peace campaigner widely regarded as ‘South Africa’s moral conscience’.

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How we work & what we do

The Elders work covers three overarching themes...

Governance and Leadership

Global challenges require global solutions

Conflict, its Causes and Consequences

Peace and the prevention of conflict is possible

Inequality, Exclusion and Injustice

Building a more stable world
Latest News & Insight More on what we do

Latest News & Insight

 News

The Elders in China
24 Apr 2019
Mary Robinson, Ban Ki-moon, Lakhdar Brahimi, Ricardo Lagos and Ernesto Zedillo met with President Xi and other leaders on The Elders first official trip to China.
Ethical Leadership
 Speech

Industry must commit to halt all future fossil fuel extraction
14 Jun 2019
Mary Robinson attended a meeting convened by Pope Francis in the Vatican on 13-14 June on “The Energy Transition and Care for our Common Home”, attended by CEOs of leading oil and gas companies, and financial investment funds.
Climate Change
 Press release

The Elders call on Egypt’s al-Sisi to uphold AU commitments on Sudan transition
07 Jun 2019
The Elders call on Egypt’s al-Sisi to uphold AU commitments on Sudan transition
Conflict
 News
Empowered women create empowered societies
07 Jun 2019
Pioneering human rights lawyer and Elder Hina Jilani delivers strong words on women's empowerment at the 2019 Women Deliver Global Conference in Vancouver, Canada.
 Speech
Mary Robinson: honour Kofi Annan's legacy by countering today's rising isolationism
03 Jun 2019
Mary Robinson reflects on the life of Kofi Annan, the values that were the driving force behind his sucesses and the legacy that must be defended in the face of rising populism and isolationism. 
 Speech

Putting gender inclusion at the centre of open government
30 May 2019
Delivering the closing keynote on gender and inclusion, Mary Robinson calls on women to get involved in political struggles and show solidarity with each other to secure justice and open up the halls of government for our children and grandchildren.
Access to Justice
 Press release

The Elders reaffirm support for Colombia’s peace process
22 May 2019
The Elders today reaffirmed their support for the historic peace deal between the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and urged President Ivan Duque to continue to work for its full implementation.
Conflict, Ethical Leadership
The Elders in the world

Video and gallery content from The Elders

Mandela's vision for a better world
 Video
The Elders’ visit to Ethiopia: refugees, health and democracy
 Gallery
Mary Robinson: leading The Elders into its second decade
 Video
Highlights from #WalkTogether - continue Mandela's long walk to freedom
 Gallery
#NuclearThreat: a call for minimisation
 Video
 Join the conversation Discover more video and galleries

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