Cross-cutting commitments
We believe that four cross-cutting commitments – multilateralism, human rights, gender equality and women in leadership, and intergenerational dialogue – are essential to realising our strategic goals and achieving sustainable impact.
Multilateralism
Even the most powerful states cannot effectively address the threats facing the world acting alone. It is in every country’s interest to have robust multilateral institutions that can uphold a rules-based international system and tackle the world’s shared challenges. Yet despite this urgent need, the world is increasingly facing a crisis of multilateralism, with powerful states prioritising short-term national agendas over long-term global stability, while practising double standards in their application of international law, and breaking their promises. The Elders defend and promote multilateralism as a source of global solutions to global challenges.
A UN Security Council meeting on the peace and security of Ukraine in New York, 2022 Photo: Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images.
The Elders advocate for strengthened international cooperation and multilateral solutions, including helping existing multilateral processes like the UN climate, biodiversity and nuclear non-proliferation conferences deliver the outcomes the world needs. We press for reforms to the multilateral system, for instance to address deficiencies in the global pandemic architecture and the UN’s peacebuilding/security structures. We also help build momentum behind promising reform ideas, give thought leadership on longer-term structural changes, and make the case for multilateralism to countries who block reform or do not see the multilateral system as working in their interests.
The Elders advocate for strengthened international cooperation and multilateral solutions, including helping existing multilateral processes like the UN climate, biodiversity and nuclear non-proliferation conferences deliver the outcomes the world needs. We press for reforms to the multilateral system, for instance to address deficiencies in the global pandemic architecture and the UN’s peacebuilding/security structures. We also help build momentum behind promising reform ideas, give thought leadership on longer-term structural changes, and make the case for multilateralism to countries who block reform or do not see the multilateral system as working in their interests.
A UN Security Council meeting on the peace and security of Ukraine in New York, 2022 Photo: Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images.
Human Rights
Across the world, respect for universal human rights is in decline, even in countries traditionally considered to have a strong track record. The Elders’ moral voice on human rights draws on the international legal framework. The rules-based order is contingent on countries upholding their international obligations. The Elders will bring visibility to systematic international law and human rights violations, in relation to climate justice, war crimes, or vaccine inequity.
Ernesto Zedillo speaks on a panel about human rights in London, 2018. Photo: British Council
The Elders support international mechanisms for justice and accountability to combat impunity for grave breaches that constitute serious crimes under international law, such as genocide and crimes against humanity. We help demystify and promote legal instruments and mechanisms protecting human rights and humanitarian law through our public and private communications. We also build partnerships with think tanks, academics, and civil society groups to help integrate an informed human rights approach across all our programmes.
The Elders support international mechanisms for justice and accountability to combat impunity for grave breaches that constitute serious crimes under international law, such as genocide and crimes against humanity. We help demystify and promote legal instruments and mechanisms protecting human rights and humanitarian law through our public and private communications. We also build partnerships with think tanks, academics, and civil society groups to help integrate an informed human rights approach across all our programmes.
Ernesto Zedillo speaks on a panel about human rights in London, 2018. Photo: British Council
Gender equality and women in leadership
Violence against women and girls remains endemic and is exacerbated by global health, climate and humanitarian crises. The gender gap in global leadership and representation remains stark, particularly in nuclear and conflict negotiations. Our aim is to promote gender equality and women in leadership across all our programmes, whilst also highlighting accountability for preventing and responding to gender-based violence, particularly in our conflict work.
Mary Robinson stands alongside women climate leaders at COP26 in Glasgow, 2021.
The Elders advocate for women’s leadership and transformative approaches to women’s participation at the global, regional, and national level. We promote the voices of feminist and women-led movements working on Elders’ priorities, with a focus on organisations and individuals from the Global South, and are committed to a more gender-inclusive and equitable way of working in all we do.
The Elders advocate for women’s leadership and transformative approaches to women’s participation at the global, regional, and national level. We promote the voices of feminist and women-led movements working on Elders’ priorities, with a focus on organisations and individuals from the Global South, and are committed to a more gender-inclusive and equitable way of working in all we do.
Mary Robinson stands alongside women climate leaders at COP26 in Glasgow, 2021.
Intergenerational dialogue
Intergenerational dialogue is an underused asset in creating global solutions to today’s global challenges, without compromising the potential of tomorrow. We will champion intergenerational dialogue that listens to and learns from young people, platforms their vital voices, and turns dialogue into action.
Mary Robinson, Lakhdar Brahimi and Gro Harlem Brundtland at One Young World in London, 2019.
The Elders create pressure on world leaders, international institutions, and those managing policy to put youth participation and leadership at the core of decision-making. We seek opportunities to convene older and younger generations to share knowledge and build a collective understanding of how to tackle global challenges. This includes amplifying the voices of different generations with a particular focus on lifting up marginalised youth voices and the voices of those most affected by global threats. We also promote the narrative that the needs of present generations should always be considered alongside efforts to avoid compromising the needs of future generations.
The Elders create pressure on world leaders, international institutions, and those managing policy to put youth participation and leadership at the core of decision-making. We seek opportunities to convene older and younger generations to share knowledge and build a collective understanding of how to tackle global challenges. This includes amplifying the voices of different generations with a particular focus on lifting up marginalised youth voices and the voices of those most affected by global threats. We also promote the narrative that the needs of present generations should always be considered alongside efforts to avoid compromising the needs of future generations.
Mary Robinson, Lakhdar Brahimi and Gro Harlem Brundtland at One Young World in London, 2019.