Today’s vote by the Human Rights Council highlights the lack of progress towards addressing Sri Lanka's culture of impunity. The resolution calls on the government to conduct an independent and credible investigation into human rights violations committed during Sri Lanka’s civil war.

"Mary faces the formidable challenge of helping to bring about peace in a region torn apart by decades of strife." Desmond Tutu

The Elders welcome Mary Robinson's new appointment and stand ready to support her in her mission.

“People can change their attitudes. We have to help them do it.”

Speaking at an inquiry of the UK International Development Committee, Gro Harlem Brundtland discusses what parliamentarians and policy-makers can do to ensure development programming tackles gender-based violence.

"There needs to be an independent and credible international investigation into alleged violations of human rights in Sri Lanka."

Writing in The Times, Mary Robinson and Desmond Tutu warn that without pressure from the Human Rights Council and the Commonwealth, the human tragedies of Sri Lanka’s civil war will not be accounted for.

In a development welcomed by child marriage activists, the United States Congress has passed a bill stating that child marriage breaches fundamental human rights – and requiring the US to integrate the prevention of this harmful practice across its development programmes.

The Elders congratulate the new South Korean President Park Geun-hye on taking office and express their support for her commitment to constructive engagement with North Korea.

“Poverty is day-to-day violence, no less destructive than war.”

Receiving the 2011 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development, Ela Bhatt re-examines our idea of peace, arguing that equity, local economies and the empowerment of women through work are central to supporting economic freedoms, and therefore peace.

Mary Robinson has been in Addis Ababa for the binannual meeting of the Gender is My Agenda Campaign, to meet Sudanese and South Sudanese women leaders, and stress the importance of involving women in the peace process between the two nations.

“We ought to do everything in our power to ensure girls can become all they can be.” Desmond Tutu

In November, Desmond Tutu and Graça Machel took part in a Girls Not Brides conference discussing how to end child marriage in Sub-Saharan Africa. The event in South Africa brought together activists, campaigners and experts from across the continent.

"The EU has repeatedly urged Israel to “immediately end all settlement activity”. And yet, by trading with settlements, Europe is inadvertently shoring up their economic viability and contributing to their permanence."

The Elders urge the EU to pressure Israel to end expansion of its illegal settlements. By taking action on settlement products, they argue, Europe can help to safeguard the two-state solution. A version of this article first appeared in The Guardian.