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

Ban Ki-moon

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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Gro Harlem Brundtland

First woman Prime Minister of Norway; former Director-General of WHO; a medical doctor who champions health as a human right; and 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; outspoken advocate for peace and human rights; 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

Women’s and children's rights advocate; former freedom fighter and first Education Minister of Mozambique; co-founder of The Elders.

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Mary Robinson

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

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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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Ernesto Zedillo

Former President of Mexico who led profound democratic and social reforms; a renowned economist; and an advocate of multilateralism, inclusive globalisation, nuclear nonproliferation, drug policy reform and universal healthcare.

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Martti Ahtisaari

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

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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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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Fernando Henrique Cardoso

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

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

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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COVID-19 Hub
Reflections, updates and insights on the COVID-19 pandemic
State of Hope

Mary Robinson

On our shared challenges

We urgently need a global system fit for purpose to prevent virus outbreaks from becoming full-blown pandemics and global crises.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Humanity’s collective experience of COVID-19 has reminded us all how precious, fragile, and intertwined life can be.
Juan Manuel Santos
It is essential we seize the opportunity presented by COVID-19 to acknowledge failings, and repair systems and processes.
Ernesto Zedillo
History will judge us harshly should we not marshall every resource at our disposal to make sure we get vaccines in the arms of those who need it.
Graça Machel
Podcast

Gro Harlem Brundtland

Health Inequality and COVID-19

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Our key programmes

Ethical Leadership & Multilateral Cooperation
Conflict Countries & Regions
Universal Health Coverage
Climate Change
Access to Justice
Refugees and Migration

Ethical Leadership & Multilateral Cooperation

We support international co-operation & strong multilateral institutions as the most effective ways of tackling global challenges, including nuclear disarmament.
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Conflict Countries & Regions

We endeavour to assist in efforts to secure peaceful resolution to conflicts through quiet diplomacy and a willingness to talk to all sides.
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Universal Health Coverage

We make global and country-level interventions to help political leaders take the bold steps needed to implement pro-poor UHC reforms.
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Climate Change

We want to help ensure a just transition to the low carbon economy, create political space for ambitious action, and encourage innovative new solutions.
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Access to Justice

Access to justice for all is an important human right. We will work with governments and civil society to make this right a reality.
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Refugees and Migration

We champion the need for compassion, tolerance and solidarity in response to vulnerable people on the move. ​
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Latest News & Insight More on what we do

Latest News & Insight

Speech
A united and purposeful Security Council is needed now more than ever
Mary Robinson
Mary Robinson addresses the UN Security Council on its crucial role in preventing conflict, the need for nuclear non-proliferation, and the overhanging threat of climate change. 
Speech
The international community must act responsibly on Afghanistan
Lakhdar Brahimi
07 Sep 2021
Lakhdar Brahimi addresses the UN Security Council on the precarious situation in Afghanistan and calls for unity within the international community to support the Afghan people.
Guest Blog
The next level of climate advocacy: Beyond fake smiles and fruitless handshakes
03 Sep 2021
Sudanese climate activist Nisreen Elsaim advocates a comprehensive view on climate justice that considers intergenerational, geographical and gender justice, regardless of personal and national wealth.
Opinion
Australia must do its part and lift its climate commitments
Ban Ki-moon
19 Aug 2021
Amid a critical decade for our planet and ahead of COP26, Australia must commit to net-zero emissions by 2050 and pledge new climate finance, says Ban Ki-moon.
Opinion
Climate catastrophe can be averted if leaders act now
Mary Robinson
14 Aug 2021
The chance to limit global temperature rise to 1.5C is slim but still possible, says Mary Robinson amid increasing worries about a liveable future planet. 
Opinion
The Global North must uphold the principles of the UN Refugee Convention
Ban Ki-moon
26 Jul 2021
Seventy years ago, the world made a pact to protect refugees: the 1951 UN Refugee Convention. Yet too many of our leaders are failing to uphold that promise, writes Ban Ki-moon.
Opinion
Peacemaking after the COVID-19 pandemic
Juan Manuel Santos
19 Jul 2021
Juan Manuel Santos reflects on how leaders must foster hope and anchor policies in empathy, solidarity, and a long-term vision of the common good, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Elders in the world

Video and gallery content from The Elders

Videos
Together, we can shape a better future for us all
At a time of populism and isolationism, when polarised politics and self-interest have the upper hand, The Elders offer an alternative approach.
Photos
2020: a year in review
2020 was a year like no other as COVID-19 wreaked havoc on people’s lives across the world. During this time, The Elders continued to deliver on Nelson Mandela’s mandate to “support courage where there is fear” and “inspire hope where there is despair”
Videos
Israel-Palestine: the realities of occupation
Gro Harlem Brundtland joins Nadav Weiman, a former IDF soldier and Deputy Director of Breaking the Silence, to discuss his military service, the realities of occupation and hopes for peace between Israel and Palestine.
Videos
#NuclearThreat: a call for minimisation
Ban Ki-moon, Ernesto Zedillo, Gro Harlem Brundtland and Mary Robinson explain why all nuclear powers must pursue policies of nuclear minimisation, to preserve peace for future generations.
Videos
How close are we to realising gender equality?
How do we accelerate the unfinished business of the landmark Beijing Declaration on women’s rights? Mary Robinson and Amani Aruri in conversation.
 Join the conversation Discover more video and galleries

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