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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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 and former Director-General of the World Health Organization; leading advocate on global preparedness for pandemics; 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 a champion 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

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

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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, forceful advocate for gender equality, women’s participation in peace-building and human dignity.

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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; economist and advocate of multilateralism, inclusive globalisation, nuclear non-proliferation and drug policy reform.

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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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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
CNBC

Women are key to the response

Sky News Daily

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

On the need for global leadership

COVID-19 has revealed a collective failure by leaders and policymakers to take pandemic prevention, preparedness and response seriously.
Gro Harlem Brundtland
Now is the time for people with wise heads and open hearts to stand up for the most vulnerable and to build a safer, healthier future for all.
Zeid Raad Al Hussein
Finding Humanity

Juan Manuel Santos

On Existential Threats

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Our key programmes

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

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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Latest News & Insight More on what we do

Latest News & Insight

News
The Elders explore hope, leadership and the COVID-19 recovery in a new series of the Finding Humanity podcast
As the new US President Joe Biden calls for unity in tackling the cascading crises of our era, The Elders embark on a new podcast series looking at the leadership needed to meet the challenges ahead.
Statement
The Elders welcome US re-engagement on climate, WHO; call for renewed commitment on nuclear threat
21 Jan 2021
The Elders today welcomed the decisions by newly-inaugurated US President Joe Biden to rejoin the Paris Agreement on climate change and cease the process of withdrawal from the World Health Organization.
Opinion
A global fossil fuel registry is key to governments taking urgent climate action
19 Jan 2021
Ricardo Lagos calls for greater transparency and accountability from governments to deliver a coordinated, international approach to reducing fossil fuel production. Published in El Pais.
Statement
The Elders warn Yemen famine will be worsened by US designation of Houthis as terrorists
15 Jan 2021
The Elders today expressed concern that the severe famine and humanitarian crisis in Yemen will be worsened by the US Government’s designation of one of the parties in the conflict as terrorists.
Opinion
Lakhdar Brahimi: “A return to the world order before Donald Trump is neither possible nor desirable”
08 Jan 2021
While the crisis of multilateralism has been accelerated by the Trump administration, it has its roots in the attitude of the United States, which has imposed its supremacy since the fall of the Berlin Wall, flouting international law.
News
2021 must be a year of enlightened and empathetic action
04 Jan 2021
Mary Robinson calls for solidarity, inclusion and generosity of spirit, as we seek to overcome our common challenges in 2021.
Statement
“Prepare, Prioritise, Promote”: The Elders’ three pillars for public health after COVID-19
11 Dec 2020
The Elders today launched a new report, “Building Back Better for Universal Health”, setting out three key pillars to inform the leadership needed from governments and policymakers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic at a national and global level.
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.
Photos
#PeaceCrane2020: Imagining a world free from nuclear weapons
The Elders mark the 75th Anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by folding an origami crane and sharing a message of peace.
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.
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