He takes over from Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who held the position since 2018. Mary Robinson will continue to play an active role as an Elder. The organisation was founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007 and previous Chairs have been Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Kofi Annan.

Juan Manuel Santos joined The Elders in January 2019 and has played a leading role in the group’s work on conflict resolution and prevention, including a visit to Ukraine in August 2022 with Ban Ki-moon to meet President Zelenskyy and with victims of the Russian atrocities in Bucha and Irpin.

He has also been a strong voice in support of the Elders’ work on the climate and nature crisis, and has represented The Elders in briefings to the UN Security Council and at prominent events including the Munich Security Conference and the High-Level Week of the UN General Assembly.

Juan Manuel Santos was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016 in recognition of his efforts to end a civil war of more than 50 years in Colombia. He served as President of Colombia from 2010 to 2018, after having being Minister of Trade, Minister of Finance and Minister of Defence. Before that he was also a diplomat and a journalist.

Juan Manuel Santos said:

“It is a tremendous privilege and a great honour to serve as Chair of The Elders. Nearly thirty years ago, I met Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg, and we had a long conversation on the importance of peace for both of our countries. I remember very well that he concluded our talk by saying ‘without peace, Colombia will never take off’. His words inspired me to start creating the conditions necessary to seek peace in my country, and still inspire me today to work to end conflicts across the whole world. I believe The Elders can play a critical role in today’s troubled world, building on the bold and inspirational leadership shown by my predecessors. To fill Mary Robinson’s shoes as Chair will not be easy. I hope to be able to follow her example with the help of my fellow Elders.”

Mary Robinson said:

“Being Chair of The Elders has been an honour, a challenge and a moral mission. I am proud of all that my fellow Elders and I have achieved, and now feel it is time to hand over the reins to Juan Manuel. Part of leadership is knowing when to stand down and make space for others. In these times of profound global uncertainty, I know that Juan Manuel will lead us with his unerring sense of duty, diplomacy and dedication. For my part, I will continue to play an active role in the group’s work, particularly on the existential threat posed by the climate and nature crisis.”

ENDS

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