Hope is Action

The Elders call on world leaders to keep a path to 1.5°C alive at COP26 

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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Our key programmes

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

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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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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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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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

News
Hope at COP26 must be backed by decisive action from world leaders
Major political efforts are required in Glasgow if we are to have any hope of averting the most disastrous consequences of climate change. 
Videos
Imagine a future with the courage needed to achieve climate justice
Mary Robinson
18 Oct 2021
Mary Robinson addresses delegates at the Arctic Circle Assembly, discussing the damage of global warming and climate injustice.
Guest Blog
"In the end, what we need is justice": Born into the climate crisis
01 Oct 2021
Championed by Ban Ki-moon, Mitzi Jonelle Tan from the Philippines writes about the frightening and devastating impacts of climate change and calls for an urgent end to the burning of fossil fuels.
News
The climate crisis and COVID-19 defined this year’s UN General Assembly
Zeid Raad Al Hussein
01 Oct 2021
Zeid Raad Al Hussein reiterates the need for global solutions to global problems, and the pivotal role of the multilateral system in addressing our shared challenges such as the climate crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Opinion
Climate change: women must be heard at COP26
Mary Robinson
01 Oct 2021
The growing climate crisis affects more women than men, and its solutions must reflect the fact that it is a feminist issue, writes Mary Robinson.
Speech
The leadership of the G20 is crucial in securing a safer future
Ban Ki-moon
29 Sep 2021
Ban Ki-moon addresses leaders at the F20 Climate Solutions Forum, emphasising the need for G20 leaders to step up their climate commitments ahead of climate COP26 in Glasgow. 
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.
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
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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