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This is President Lula’s moment to cement his status as a global climate leader

Graça Machel Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

19 November 2024

Graça Machel and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf write for Le Monde Diplomatique Brasil, urging President Lula to lead the G20 in advancing climate justice

Why Oppenheimer's nuclear fears are just as relevant today

Mary Robinson Mary Robinson called for greater urgency and political commitment to reduce the risk posed by nuclear weapons in TIME.

The path to an international tribunal on aggression in Ukraine must run through the UNGA

Ban Ki-moon urges leaders at the UNGA to support an international tribunal as a way to hold Russia's top leadership accountable for the crime of aggression in Ukraine, tackle impunity and defend the essence of the UN Charter.

International financial institution ambition needed to rebuild trust in multilateralism

Juan Manuel Santos

In an op-ed for the Financial Times, Juan Manuel Santos calls on World Bank and IMF governors to take the “historic opportunity to address the triple crises of climate, debt and poverty.”

Unity on Ukraine is unity on peace and justice

Ban Ki-moon Juan Manuel Santos

One year after Putin's invasion, Ban Ki-moon and Juan Manuel Santos affirm that unity in support of Ukraine is crucial for upholding the broader rules-based global order.

We are living outside our experience: we need more than empty promises from world leaders at COP27

Mary Robinson on the criticality of the climate crisis and The Elders' calls for action at COP27 in Egypt

Leaders must go beyond platitudes at COP27: they must deliver on climate finance promises

21 October 2022

Mary Robinson writes for the New Statesman on power, action and the need for progress on Loss and Damage to be prioritised at COP27.

Nuclear proliferation needs a multilateral response just as much as the coronavirus pandemic

Warning that a nuclear conflict remains a clear and present danger today, Ban Ki-moon calls on nuclear powers to reduce their arsenals and invest in a robust global arms control architecture. Published in the South China Morning Post.

Multilateralism offers hope for a sea-change after COVID-19

Writing in The Hill on the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, Mary Robinson warns that COVID-19 will not be overcome unless states work together.

President Trump's attack on multilateralism has betrayed America's national interest

Ernesto Zedillo condemns President Trump's ongoing assault on international covenants and institutions and calls for regional unity to move beyond rhetoric in defending multilateralism. Published in El País.

COVID-19 should not justify erosion of rights for most marginalised

Mary Robinson marks World Refugee Day 2020 by urging leaders to pay attention to marginalised people whose situation transcends national borders. Published in Thomson Reuters.

COVID-19 has gifted us a chance to end gender-based violence. We must take it

Noting that COVID-19 restrictions have resulted in an increase in domestic violence and a decrease in survivors' access to justice, Graça Machel calls for the global epidemic of gender-based violence to be rooted out as boldly as we are tackling COVID-19.

ASEAN must act to save Rohingya refugees in the Bay of Bengal

As thousands of displaced Rohingya are struggling to find sanctuary in the Bay of Bengal, Ban Ki-moon calls on governments in the region to take action, uphold the rule of law and show solidarity for those in peril on the sea

COVID-19: Gulf states are well positioned to lead the global response

Wise leadership, strategic investments and an open-minded foreign policy can ensure the Gulf region plays a key role in the global fight against COVID-19, Gro Harlem Brundtland writes in The National.

A global response to beat the virus is in all countries' interests. No one is safe until everyone is safe.

Ordinary citizens will remember which leaders stepped up to the challenge and delivered for their people, rather than retreating into shrill nationalism and the search for scapegoats, writes Gro Harlem Brundtland. First published in The Independent.

The world and the Latin American and Caribbean region cannot afford delayed or inadequate responses to COVID-19

Ernesto Zedillo, Juan Manuel Santos, Ricardo Lagos and Elder Emeritus, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, outline the steps and policies the Latin American and Caribbean region must take to mitigate the worst of COVID-19.

Migrants' rights and health must be protected in the face of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic is a test of our common humanity. It has revealed our shared vulnerabilities, and only a coordinated response based on justice, solidarity and humanitarian principles can help us overcome it.

It is 100 seconds to midnight: the world needs to recognise and respond to this wake up call

The Doomsday Clock shows we are closer to global catastrophe than ever before - this needs to be a wake-up call for the world.

2020 must be a year of multilateral action on nuclear arms, climate and gender

Reflecting on the challenges we face as the world enters a new decade, Mary Robinson highlights the importance of multilateralism and collective solidarity

Latin America can still lead the world on climate justice

Zeid Raad Al Hussein calls on Latin American governments to ratify the Escazú Agreement -the first treaty of its kind in the world that specifically includes the protection of human rights defenders in environmental matters. Published in O Globo & El Pais

Nuclear weapons are still the greatest threat to world peace. NATO must take action now to protect humanity

The risk of a nuclear war is higher than at any time since the end of the Cold War. Mary Robinson warns leaders meeting at NATO's London Summit in London to seize the opportunity to prevent a new arms race. Published in The Independent.

Japan must act now to regain its status of global climate leader

Japan was once a pioneer of climate leadership. Now, Mary Robinson and CEO of the ECF, Laurence Tubiana urge the country to embrace this role again by leading the technological breakthrough on clean energy systems of the future.

German leadership is critical to ending EIB support for fossil fuels

German leadership is critical to ending EIB support for fossil fuels

Is President Trump abandoning America’s future by quitting the Paris climate accord?

Ban Ki-moon, Deputy Chair of The Elders and Patrick Verkooijen, Chief Executive of the Global Center on Adaptation, call on US President Donald Trump to act on the climate emergency. Published in the New York Times.

The world needs Latin American leadership on the climate crisis

Warning that without urgent and radical action, we will not bequeath a liveable planet to future generations, Juan Manuel Santos calls for inclusive leadership to tackle the climate crisis.

Ban Ki-moon: businesses can lead on refugee integration where leaders fall short

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.

For South Africa, climate adaptation and economic growth can go hand in hand

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.

Europe's refugee policy is test of its true 'way of life'

Gro Harlem Brundtland and Mary Robinson call on EU leaders to show more solidarity to refugees and share responsibility for resettlement more equitably among member states. Published in the EU Observer.

Graça Machel: Why Africa must move from fossil fuels to a clean energy revolution

Writing in TIME, Graca Machel asserts that Africa can be the launchpad for a green-energy revolution, but only if governments are more assertive in pushing for clean energy and climate action.

Universal health coverage is affordable, even in tough times

Countering assertions that South Africa's health reforms are unaffordable amidst economic challenges, Gro Harlem Brundtland and Ricardo Lagos argue that investment in health represents an effective investment in the economy as a whole.

Femicide is a crime against all humanity

Ricardo Lagos laments the normalisation of violence against women and girls in Latin America and calls for leadership and investment to end this shameful reality. First published in El Pais in English and Spanish.

Time to close the shaming justice gap

As a new report launched at the World Justice Forum today reveals more than five billion people worldwide lack meaningful access to justice, Mary Robinson reflects on the saddeningly slow progress made to close the justice gap.

Europe must take a stand in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Writing in the Financial Times, Gro Harlem Brundtland calls on European leaders to reassert their commitment to a two-state solution as the only way to deliver peace, justice and human rights to Israelis and Palestinians.

Governing Geoengineering

Ban Ki-moon calls for clear governance rules for geoengineering based on inclusive, multilateral engagement, and warns against complacency in the face of the unforeseen and unintended consequences of these new technologies. Published in Thomson Reuters.

Time's up for violence against women and girls

Graça Machel decries the horrifying statistics on the prevalence of violence against women and girls on International Women's Day 2019. First published by Thomson Reuters Foundation.

UK must stop investing in fossil fuels in developing countries

Writing in The Guardian, Ban Ki-moon calls on the UK to prove it is serious about phasing out the use of fossil fuels worldwide

A New Era of Nuclear Rearmament

The international arms-control architecture is at risk of collapsing. Ernesto Zedillo warns of the risks of a new nuclear arms race between the US and Russia, and urges every nuclear-armed state to act responsibly to prevent catastrophe.

Why public finance is key to delivering the human right to health

Writing for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, Ban Ki-moon calls on leaders to demonstrate the political will required to achieve public financed health systems.

What does the Universal Declaration of Human Rights mean in today’s fractured world?

Graça Machel reflects on 70 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the continued abuses tearing lives apart from Yemen to Venezuela.

Ignore the lies about the UN Migration pact. It's the only responsible solution to a changing world

Writing in TIME, Mary Robinson calls on leaders to recognise the realities of our globalized world and embrace the sovereignty that the UN Global Compact on Migration provides.

Climate change is a global health catastrophe

Ricardo Lagos explains the threat climate change poses to global health.

Ban Ki-moon: IPCC's report exposes how Trump is wrong about climate change

Writing in TIME, Ban Ki-moon calls for concerted action on climate change from leaders in the wake of the IPCC Special Report on 1.5 degrees.

The Refugee Crisis Is a Test of Our Collective Conscience

Drawing on his own experiences of being a child refugee during the Korean War, Ban Ki-moon calls on world leaders to increase political will to address the refugee and migrant crisis. First published in the New York Times.

Stand in solidarity for justice and climate action

As people across the US and around the world #RiseForClimate, Mary Robinson urges politicians and business leaders due to gather at the Global Climate Action Summit in California to heed their call for climate justice.

Kofi Annan will inspire generations – a tribute from Mary Robinson

Writing in The Irish Times, Mary Robinson reflects on the life and legacy of Kofi Annan.

Donald Trump’s deal must put Palestinian rights centre stage

Writing in the Financial Times, Kofi Annan welcomes fresh approaches to peacemaking but warns that any deal that does not address the root causes of the conflict will be doomed to failure.

“Sparks of Hope” can honour Nelson Mandela’s vision of a better world

Writing in CNN, Graça Machel reflects on what we can learn from Madiba's legacy, and calls on us all to #WalkTogether on his centenary, to continue his long walk to freedom.

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Mary Robinson, Ban Ki-moon & Ernesto Zedillo enjoyed a good meeting with @antonioguterres at @UN. They discussed global security issues inc. Ukraine and Israel/Palestine, how to strengthen multilateralism amid geopolitical tensions, & plans for the upcoming Summit of the Future. pic.twitter.com/lY1HWKn8Ku
— The Elders (@TheElders) June 27, 2024

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