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Strengthening the United Nations

The Elders believe strongly that the United Nations is a necessary and core part of the global governance system.

Latest Content

Opinion
Women’s leadership must drive the global recovery from COVID-19
08 Mar 2021
Marking International Women's Day 2021, Mary Robinson reflects on why women leadership is crucial in achieving a more equal society post-COVID-19, and why the success of COP26 will depend on it. Published in Inter Press Service.
Speech
The COVID-19 pandemic is a crisis for human rights and development
01 Mar 2021
Mary Robinson addresses the UN Human Rights Council on the rights of the child and the SDGs, highlighting the importance to uphold rights for the most vulnerable in the global community amid COVID-19.
News
From conflict to climate change: collective efforts are needed to overcome shared challenges
03 Feb 2021
COVID-19 affected every aspect of our lives in 2020, and how we respond to it as a global community has important implications for our approach to other shared, existential threats including climate change and nuclear weapons.
Opinion
COVID-19 shows that we cannot take stability and competent governance for granted
28 Jan 2021
With the Doomsday Clock remaining at just 100 seconds to midnight, Gro Harlem Brundtland warns of an alarmingly high level of existential risk to humanity. Published in Project Syndicate.
More on Strengthening the UN

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Our Work

The Elders launched a specific initiative on “Strengthening the UN” at the Munich Security Conference in 2015. They proposed four reforms to the UN’s peace and security architecture that would enhance the organisation’s legitimacy and efficacy: a new category of membership for the UN Security Council; a pledge from Permanent Members not to use their veto to prevent action against mass atrocities; a greater voice for civil society; and a more independent Secretary-General.

Following the election of António Guterres as Secretary-General in October 2016, The Elders have focused their efforts on veto restraint. They have raised the issue at meetings with Security Council members in New York and have worked to amplify the voices of civil society and victims of conflict.

The Elders also strongly support the UN’s 2030 Agenda on development and its efforts to introduce new Global Compacts on refugees and migration.

Our call for veto restraint

In May 2016, The Elders joined civil society to call on members of the Security Council to exercise veto restraint to prevent mass atrocities.

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