Founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007, we are independent global leaders working together for peace, justice, human rights and a sustainable planet

Gro Harlem Brundtland

First woman Prime Minister of Norway; former Director-General of WHO; a medical doctor who champions health as a human right; and put sustainable development on the international agenda.

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Helen Clark

Former Prime Minister of New Zealand and head of the UN Development Programme; Co-Chair of the WHO Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response; an advocate for multilateralism and nuclear disarmament.

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Elbegdorj Tsakhia

Former President and Prime Minister of Mongolia who led his country’s transition to democracy after the fall of the Soviet Union. An international campaigner on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, climate change and democracy.

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Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein

Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; champion of international justice and multilateralism; outspoken advocate for peace and human rights; veteran Jordanian diplomat and peacekeeping expert.

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Hina Jilani

Pioneering lawyer and pro-democracy campaigner; a leading activist in Pakistan's women's movement and international champion of human rights.

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Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Former President of Liberia and Africa’s first elected female head of state; Nobel Peace Laureate; a leading promoter of peace, justice and democratic rule; a voice for freedom; and advocate for health for all.

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Graça Machel

Women’s and children's rights advocate; former freedom fighter and first Education Minister of Mozambique; co-founder of The Elders.

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Denis Mukwege

Member of The Elders, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, global campaigner on conflict-related sexual violence, gynaecologist and founder of the Panzi Hospital, Democratic Republic of Congo

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Mary Robinson

First woman President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; former Chair of The Elders; a passionate advocate for gender equality, women’s participation in peace-building, human dignity and climate justice.

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Juan Manuel Santos

Former President of Colombia; a Nobel Peace Laureate who led complex peace negotiations, ending over 50 years of intractable civil war; Chair of The Elders.

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Ernesto Zedillo

Former President of Mexico who led profound democratic and social reforms; a renowned economist; and an advocate of multilateralism, inclusive globalisation, nuclear nonproliferation, drug policy reform and universal healthcare.

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Latest News & Insight

Newsletters
80 years since Hiroshima: three voices, one urgent message
Juan Manuel Santos
This newsletter marks 80 years since the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, sharing three powerful perspectives on the urgent need to eliminate nuclear weapons
Speeches and Discussions
The two-state solution needs global affirmation
Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein
28 Jul 2025
Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein urges the international community to back a concrete two-state solution grounded in equality, ending occupation, and ensuring sovereignty and dignity for both Palestinians and Israelis.
Speeches and Discussions
Palestinian self-determination is key to lasting peace
Juan Manuel Santos
28 Jul 2025
Juan Manuel Santos Advocates recognition of Palestine as a catalyst for regional peace, emphasising political dialogue, sovereignty and economic cooperation alongside Israel.
Speeches and Discussions
Now is the time to recognise Palestinian statehood
Mary Robinson
28 Jul 2025
Mary Robinson calls for urgent recognition of Palestine and accountability for violations of international law as essential steps toward peace.
Newsletters
Real leadership is rooted in moral courage, not ego
Graça Machel
03 Jul 2025
In our latest newsletter, Graça Machel calls for moral courage and principled leadership to confront today’s global crises
Elders Statements
The Elders warn US, Israeli strikes on Iran have intensified global nuclear proliferation risks
Juan Manuel Santos
24 Jun 2025
The Elders warn that US and Israeli strikes on Iran risk normalising force over the rule of law, and urge all parties to avoid further unilateral or retaliatory military action
News
Ban Ki-moon becomes Elder Emeritus
Ban Ki-moon
16 Jun 2025
The Elders announced today that Ban Ki-moon will step down from full-time duties and become an Elder Emeritus.

Our Programmes

We work on existential threats to humanity that require a collective response - the climate crisis, pandemics, and nuclear weapons. We also work on conflict, a threat in itself and a risk factor for other threats.

 

View our cross-cutting commitments (multilateralism, human rights, gender equality and women in leadership, and intergenerational dialogue) and find out more about what we do.

View Our Past Work

Past work

Programmes The Elders have worked on previously include...


Access to Justice

Access to justice for all is an important human right. We worked with governments and civil society to help make this right a reality.

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Refugees and Migration

We championed the need for compassion, tolerance and solidarity in response to vulnerable people on the move.

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Universal Health Coverage

We made global and country-level interventions to support UHC in the broader context of pandemic preparedness and response, and the SDGs.

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Child Marriage

Child marriage affects millions of girls worldwide. We brought together organisations working locally, nationally and internationally in a global partnership to end this harmful practice.

Read More...
#OneFuture: Beyond Nuclear Weapons
As nuclear threats grow, The Elders are calling for urgent, collective action.
Speak out. Demand change. Find out more.
The Elders' Strategy 2023-2027
 Video
Read The Elders' Strategy 2023-2027

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