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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

 Opinion

Ban Ki-moon: businesses can lead on refugee integration where leaders fall short
17 Oct 2019
Drawing on his own experiences as a refugee in the Korean War, Ban Ki-moon calls on businesses to combat the xenophobic narrative against refugees. Published in The Independent.
Refugees & Migration
 Speech

Leadership is crucial in this climate crisis - Mary Robinson
08 Oct 2019
"The climate crisis is a battle for our lives and, currently, we are losing." Mary Robinson speaks at the TCFD Summit in Tokyo, Japan.
Climate Change, Ethical Leadership
 Guest Blog

Listening to and learning from girls
11 Oct 2019
For International Day of the Girl Child, Swatee Deepak, Director of With and For Girls, discusses how to provide meaningful support
Access to Justice
 Opinion

For South Africa, climate adaptation and economic growth can go hand in hand
04 Oct 2019
The idea that there is a “choice” between economic growth and tackling climate change is absurd and self-defeating: Ricardo Lagos considers the many-sided challenges of economic growth in South Africa.
Climate Change
 News

Hopes raised at UNGA but still much more to do
01 Oct 2019
From universal health coverage, to the climate emergency; the refugee crisis, to access to justice, The Elders’ voice was prominent at the 74th UN General Assembly.
Access to Justice, Climate Change, UHC
 Speech

The lack of concern and absence of political will risks nuclear catastrophe
26 Sep 2019
Mary Robinson highlights failures around non-proliferation consensus building which has allowed for the termination of several nuclear agreements
Ethical Leadership
 Speech

Strengthen global health security by investing in Universal Health Coverage
24 Sep 2019
Our networked world means that we are only as strong as our weakest link. Gro Harlem Brundtland warns leaders to ensure resilience to epidemics by investing in health systems that are capable of meeting daily challenges.
UHC
The Elders in the world

Video and gallery content from The Elders

Mandela's vision for a better world
 Video
The Elders promote #HealthForAll in South Africa
 Gallery
#NuclearThreat: a call for minimisation
 Video
#JusticeForAll: Elders' call for greater commitments
 Video
Together #WithRefugees: Elders visit Gambela, Ethiopia
 Gallery
 Join the conversation Discover more video and galleries

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