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Speeches and Discussions

Nature must no longer be a silent victim of war

20 November 2024

Mary Robinson highlights the environmental impact of conflicts during the Ukraine Pavilion panel at COP29

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

Graça Machel warns of signs of ethnic cleansing in Gaza

Graça Machel warns of alarming signs of ethnic cleansing in Gaza amid a worsening humanitarian catastrophe

World leaders must reject the path of chaos

Juan Manuel Santos

Juan Manuel Santos reflects on his new role as Chair of The Elders, highlights discussions from the recent board meeting in London, and calls on world leaders to act responsibly amid escalating global conflicts

Juan Manuel Santos named new Chair of The Elders

Juan Manuel Santos

The former President of Colombia and Nobel Peace Laureate will become The Elders’ fourth Chair

Elders Statements

Failure to respect rule of law risks collapse of global stability

The Elders today express their alarm at the escalating crises facing the world and urge leaders to uphold the rule of law

The Elders call for strong international leadership on AI governance after Summit of the Future

21 October 2024

The Elders call for continued leadership from the UN and member states to drive forward inclusive global governance of AI

Elders Statements

Empowered women create empowered societies

Pioneering human rights lawyer and Elder Hina Jilani delivers strong words on women's empowerment at the 2019 Women Deliver Global Conference in Vancouver, Canada.

Speeches and Discussions

Mary Robinson: honour Kofi Annan's legacy by countering today's rising isolationism

Mary Robinson reflects on the life of Kofi Annan, the values that were the driving force behind his sucesses and the legacy that must be defended in the face of rising populism and isolationism.

The Elders’ visit to Ethiopia: refugees, health and democracy

In May 2019, The Elders visited Ethiopia for their biannual board meeting. This allowed for the opportunity to hold talks with Ethiopia's leadership, listen to refugees in the western Gambela region and promote the importance of primary health care.

Speeches and Discussions

Putting gender inclusion at the centre of open government

Delivering the closing keynote on gender and inclusion, Mary Robinson calls on women to get involved in political struggles and show solidarity with each other to secure justice and open up the halls of government for our children and grandchildren.

Livestream: 'Our Shared Humanity': The Legacy of Kofi Annan

On 3-4 June 2019, Chatham House and UNA-UK are hosting a conference exploring Kofi Annan’s legacy for the future of global governance.

Political reforms, refugees and health form main focus of Elders’ board meeting in Ethiopia

The Elders held their biannual board meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 19-22 May 2019.

The Elders welcome Ethiopia’s political reforms and urge full respect for rule of law

The Elders welcomed the wide-ranging reforms in Ethiopia introduced by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and called on all leaders in the country to uphold the rule of law, foster a sense of national unity and defend the rights of refugees and displaced people.

The Elders reaffirm support for Colombia’s peace process

The Elders today reaffirmed their support for the historic peace deal between the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and urged President Ivan Duque to continue to work for its full implementation.

The Elders welcome Ethiopia’s commitment to primary health care and digital innovation

During their biannual board meeting being held in Addis Ababa, The Elders met Ethiopia’s State Minister of Health, Dr. Lia Tadesse, to learn more about the country’s efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage.

Media Advisory: The Elders to visit Ethiopia from 19-22 May

The Elders will visit Ethiopia from 19-22 May for a series of meetings with senior political leaders and representatives of the African Union to discuss regional political developments and security issues.

To achieve the SDGs, leaders must deliver Access to Justice For All

Ahead of the High Level Political Forum in July, where countries will report on their progress on SDG 16, The Elders launch a call on leaders to show greater commitment to providing access to justice.

Deon Shekuza a Youth Agent for Sustainable Development

Last month, Namibian youth advocate Deon Shekuza and Mary Robinson held an intergenerational dialogue on climate justice, on the sidelines of the Climate and Sustainable Development High-Level Meeting in New York. In this interview for TheElders.org, Deon

Speeches and Discussions

Investing in a green economy

Addressing investors at an EQT event, Gro Harlem Brundtland challenges the financial sector to think and act sustainably.

Ban Ki-moon: The UK must commit to go carbon neutral by 2050

The Elders welcome the recommendations of the UK’s Climate Change Committee. Committing the UK to become carbon neutral by 2050 will send a clear message to other G20 nations and beyond that the UK truly is a leader on climate action.

Speeches and Discussions

Civil society is underappreciated as a partner in delivering justice goals

Speaking at the World Justice Forum, Hina Jilani champions civil society actors as filling the gaps in providing access to justice. But warns they need financial support, and recognition from the legal system.

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.

The Importance of Women in Africa’s Transition to a Low- Carbon Economy

At the Mo Ibrahim Governance weekend, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, The Elders and The B Team co-convened a roundtable to discuss challenges and solutions for improving the role of women in the Africa’s transition to a green economy.

The Elders in China

Mary Robinson, Ban Ki-moon, Lakhdar Brahimi, Ricardo Lagos and Ernesto Zedillo met with President Xi and other leaders on The Elders first official trip to China.

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.

Speeches and Discussions

Fossil fuel extraction is a waste of resources in every sense

Mary Robinson speaks frankly at the Berlin Energy Transition dialogue on the role Germany must play in a just transition out of coal for good.

The Elders welcome China’s commitment to multilateralism and dialogue on rights and development, following meeting with President Xi Jinping

Mary Robinson, Ban Ki-moon, Lakhdar Brahimi, Ricardo Lagos and Ernesto Zedillo were in Beijing to meet with the President of China, His Excellency Xi Jinping and other senior leaders.

Elders Statements

The Elders 将前往北京与中国领导层进行高层会谈

The Elders 将于4月1日至3日出访中国与主要政治领导人进行会面，探讨气候变化、核裁军、地区安全、极端主义等全球性挑战。

Elders Statements

Media Advisory: The Elders to visit Beijing for top-level discussions with Chinese leadership

The Elders will visit China from 1-3 April to meet with key political leaders and discuss global challenges from climate change and nuclear disarmament to regional security and extremism.

Safeguarding future generations: how Wales is leading the way on climate justice

As Elders’ Chair Mary Robinson calls on UN Member States to prioritise the interests of young people, Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales explains how the Welsh Government is giving young people a voice in political decision-making.

Speeches and Discussions

Climate change denial is a malign evil

Accepting the 2019 Kew International Medal for her work on climate justice, Mary Robinson called out fossil fuel companies for losing their social licence to operate.

Speeches and Discussions

Making the business case for access to justice

The global injustice of violence against women is estimated to cost between 1 and 4% of GDP. Hina Jilani considers the business case for access to justice. Read her keynote address to the OECD Global Policy Roundtable on Equal Access to Justice.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

On the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD), Caroline Kamana from Nelson Mandela: The Official Exhibition’s Education team, explores the power of Nelson Mandela’s legacy.

Standing strong in the wake of increasingly hostile US immigration policies

With the Trump administration expanding a hard-line immigration policy, Greer Millard at The Florence Project highlights the importance of the organisations work with immigrants in Arizona.

Speeches and Discussions

Women in Power - the future of women’s leadership

Mary Robinson discusses the outstanding achievements of powerful women and what remains to be done to encourage the success of future female leaders at Women in Power event at the United Nations.

Students, Sunrise and Rebels unite to defy extinction

On 15 March students from around the world will join a global Youth Strike for Climate to demand that their leaders urgently take climate action. Extinction Rebellion Activist Farhana Yamin and #YouthStrike4Climate organiser Jake Woodier explain why.

The World Bank Group's defeat at the US Supreme Court will save its mission

In this guest blog Kirk Herbertson, Advocacy Strategist at EarthRights International - one of the Spark of Hope organisations honoured by The Elders - explains the significance of a ruling from the US Supreme Court earlier this year.

Speeches and Discussions

The urgency of women and girls’ leadership in ensuring healthy societies and a healthy planet

Mary Robinson highlights women's achievements in transforming healthcare at the Commission on the Status of Women Side Event: Health for All Through Women's Human Rights.

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.

The Elders stand in solidarity with students striking for climate action

Young people are rising up to demand urgent climate action from their leaders. On behalf of The Elders, Mary Robinson commended them for speaking truth to power.

The women creating a freer, fairer world

On International Women’s Day we celebrate eleven ideas for a freer, fairer world created by women, for women. These brave women and organisations fight for a world with equal rights and opportunities for women and girls.

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.

Elders Statements

India and Pakistan must show restraint to defuse military tensions: The Elders

The Elders today called on the leaders of India and Pakistan to take urgent steps to defuse military and political tensions that have developed over the past few days and to refrain from further bellicose rhetoric and pursue a path of meaningful dialogue.

East-West tensions at Munich highlight urgent need for action on nuclear threat

On 15-17 February, Lakhdar Brahimi and Mary Robinson announced a new agenda on nuclear minimisation at the Munich Security Conference.

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.

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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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