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Nobody left behind: equitable, sustainable and inclusive Universal Health Coverage for all

12 December 2022

The Elders today publish a new Charter for Equitable, Sustainable and Inclusive Universal Health Coverage, marking the culmination of their work on UHC since 2016.

Young Justice Leaders: an intergenerational call for justice for all

Mary Robinson joined the Young Justice Leaders at the World Justice Forum to discuss commitments towards justice for all.

Speeches and Discussions

Leaders must work together to tackle COVID-19 and prepare for future pandemics

Gro Harlem Brundtland

Multilateral cooperation is needed to ensure vaccine equity is delivered, says Gro Harlem Brundtland.

Speeches and Discussions

Cooperation between China and US crucial for sustainability and prosperity

Mary Robinson emphasises how cooperation between China and the US is needed to develop robust frameworks for 21st century governance.

Speeches and Discussions

Human rights and solidarity are at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals

Human rights and solidarity are at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Chancellor Merkel’s last chance to lead on climate

Ahead of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue, Ban Ki-moon calls on German Chancellor Angela Merkel to show climate leadership by increasing climate finance to vulnerable countries. Published in Handelsblatt

China, Japan and South Korea must work together to end coal use and funding

Ahead of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021, Ban Ki-moon calls for leadership to create a healthy, resilient and net zero-emissions future across Asia and beyond. Published in South China Morning Post.

Annual Review 2020: Finding Humanity in times of crisis

The Elders' 2020 Annual Review is now available to download. It highlights the challenges to global health, rights and development posed by COVID-19 and how The Elders have adapted to the new realities.

Climate vulnerable nations need more than recycled promises

Graça Machel calls for a concerted international effort to increase climate financing and advance climate justice.

The world remains dangerously off track on climate, The Elders warn ahead of critical UN assessment

The Elders have voiced grave concern about the lack of ambition from many world leaders, as the UN reports back on carbon commitments ahead of the crucial COP26 climate summit in Glasgow this November.

No time to spare for the Paris climate promise

Five years on from the signing of the Paris Agreement on climate change, Mary Robinson warns that having squandered past opportunities and shirked previous commitments, states now must start making up for lost time.

2021 must be a year of enlightened and empathetic action

Mary Robinson calls for solidarity, inclusion and generosity of spirit, as we seek to overcome our common challenges in 2021.

Building Back Better for Universal Health

The Elders have launched a new report calling on leaders to make the achievement of Universal Health Coverage a top priority in their government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Prepare, Prioritise, Promote”: The Elders’ three pillars for public health after COVID-19

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.

Speeches and Discussions

The climate crisis is not a distant threat. It is already here.

Speaking ahead of the Climate Ambition Summit, Graça Machel calls for bold and urgent climate action.

Grassroots organisations are essential to empowering the communities they serve

Frontline justice defenders Nazdeek explain why work like theirs must be urgently and flexibly funded during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speeches and Discussions

Let us unite across generations to protect our planet

Mary Robinson challenges leaders to engage with young climate activists to build a more inclusive and sustainable future.

Speeches and Discussions

Access to justice for women must be a priority

Ban Ki-moon calls on leaders to increase access to justice for women, if governments are to deliver on their SDG promises.

Responding to the threat of gender-based violence in refugee settings

As The Elders mark the annual global campaign of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, this photo essay provided by All We Can highlights some of the particular challenges faced by women in refugee camps.

Four areas of action to tackle the shadow pandemic of violence against women

The Elders’ Senior Policy Advisor on Access to Justice, Sabrina Mahtani, writes on concrete measures we need to take if we are serious about ending violence against women.

16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence

Focusing on increasing access to justice, The Elders join the annual global campaign to end violence against women and girls.

Speeches and Discussions

COVID-19 is a crossroads to a sustainable future

Ban Ki-moon calls for leadership and support from businesses, cities, regions, and investors to create a healthy, resilient, and zero-emissions future

Elders Statements

The Elders call for urgent action to address multilateral failings exposed by COVID-19

The Elders call on world leaders to urgently strengthen, defend, and realise the potential of the multilateral system, to end the current disarray in the global order.

True solidarity with young people means ending the fossil fuel era

Imploring the world to "listen to the incontrovertible science", Mary Robinson calls for urgent climate action to build a sustainable, just and inclusive future. in a message of support at the 10th Annual Desmond Tutu International Peace Lecture.

Securing our common future in the era of COVID-19: multilateral action is key

From the achievements of sustainable development and empowering women to the need for pandemic preparedness and investing in universal health coverage, Gro Harlem Brundtland discusses the power of multilateralism, in this interview with The ASEAN magazine

We cannot postpone climate action: major global announcements made on safeguarding the future

On 28 September, The Leaders’ Pledge for Nature launched virtually in New York: a commitment made by 64 world leaders to putting the climate crisis and preservation of nature at the heart of post-pandemic economic recovery plans.

Speeches and Discussions

We must tackle carbon inequality to meet our Paris Agreement commitments

Ban Ki-moon warns that the global carbon budget is being rapidly depleted for the purpose of expanding the consumption of a tiny minority of people.

Speeches and Discussions

Every country must raise its political ambition to move towards zero pollution and full climate justice

Mary Robinson highlights that pollution is much more than carbon emissions and praises moves to develop a viable and sustainable post-pandemic recovery.

The impacts of crises are never gender-neutral and COVID-19 is no exception

Mary Robinson calls for women’s leadership at all levels to be at the core of the COVID-19 response if a roll back on women’s rights is to be prevented. Published in IPS News.

Speeches and Discussions

We must end fossil fuel use alongside a revolution in nature-based solutions to truly build back a safer and fairer world

Juan Manuel Santos warns that nature-based solutions and the protection of biodiversity are not a substitute for accelerating the phase-out of fossil fuels.

Elders join UN75 Global Governance Forum

On 16 and 17 September, Mary Robinson, Ban Ki-moon, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Hina Jilani and Juan Manuel Santos will join the UN75 Global Governance Forum.

Speeches and Discussions

Juan Manuel Santos: We do not have to choose between a healthy economy and a healthy planet

Juan Manuel Santos calls on G20 leaders to show real leadership in fostering a green recovery from COVID-19, in an address to a virtual session of the F20 High-Level Forum.

Black Lives Matter puts injustice and inequality in the spotlight

Ban Ki-moon and Patrick Verkooijen warn that the speed and scale with which wealthy New Yorkers fled the city as COVID-19 struck has served a small taste of what climate apartheid could look like in the decades to come. Published in USA Today.

COVID-19's threat to our global civilisation and the need for collective responsibility

Writing for Kyodo News, Gro Harlem Brundtland calls for collective action to address multiple crises affecting global civilisation, from COVID-19 and climate change to nuclear proliferation and assaults on the multilateral system.

Canada can lead on climate change, if leaders match words with deeds

Warning that Canada's international reputation as a leader on ambitious climate action is at risk, Mary Robinson calls on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to match rhetoric around the need for a green economy with action. Published in The Globe and Mail.

German leadership is critical to building a clean, green recovery to COVID-19

Welcoming the priority German Chancellor Angela Merkel has placed on tackling climate change during Germany's EUCO Presidency, Ban Ki-moon urges German leadership to deliver ambitious solutions that can protect our climate & planet. Published in Die Zeit.

Gro Harlem Brundtland joins UHC Movement Political Advisory Panel

Gro Harlem Brundtland has joined leaders on a new panel to strengthen political support for Universal Health Coverage.

Speeches and Discussions

COVID-19 has underscored the importance of resilient health systems

Cautioning against imbalanced health spending as the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, Gro Harlem Brundtland calls on leaders to accelerate progress on achieving Universal Health Coverage.

Speeches and Discussions

A century ago, too few leaders had the courage to tackle global threats collectively. Will today's leaders step up?

Warning about the terrible consequences of the failures of multilateralism and far-sighted leadership, Ban Ki-moon urges inclusive governance and collective action to solve global challenges.

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.

The Elders urge a revival of multilateralism on UN’s anniversary to reshape the world after COVID-19

The Elders today called on world leaders to recommit to the values of the UN Charter and strengthen the effectiveness of the multilateral system as the best way of overcoming existential threats like pandemics, climate change and nuclear proliferation.

Hope for a sea-change: Why multilateralism must reshape the world after COVID-19

Marking the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, The Elders call for determined and principled leadership that recognises that global challenges require global solutions

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 and the impact on African women: all responses must respect the gendered impacts of the pandemic

In an open letter on the impact of COVID-19 on African women, Graça Machel calls for the criminal justice system to be strengthened and increased efforts around gender-based violence survivor support and protection.

Human Rights Committee Vranje: supporting survivors of domestic violence

Dejana Stosic, of the Human Rights Committee Vranje in Serbia, explains why girls' rights remain important and how the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t stopped them from supporting survivors of gender-based violence.

Why medical students are calling for a healthy recovery

Omnia El Omrani, a medical student & climate activist from Egypt, reflects on the impact of climate change on public health and calls on governments to recognise investing in health is a key facilitator of sustainable development in the COVID-19 recovery.

Chhori: creating a society with no discrimination towards girls

Hira Dahal, Executive Director of Chhori, discusses working to increase access to justice for survivors of gender based violence in Nepal, addressing human trafficking, and adapting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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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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