News & Insight | The Elders

Clear all Filters 

Clear all Filters 

SHARE:

   

Every country must raise its political ambition to move towards zero pollution and full climate justice

Mary Robinson highlights that pollution is much more than carbon emissions and praises moves to develop a viable and sustainable post-pandemic recovery.

A Time for Renewal: Calling for a Strengthened Multilateral System

Mary Robinson, Ban Ki-moon, Hina Jilani, Ricardo Lagos, Graça Machel and Juan Manuel Santos join global leaders to call for decisive action to defend and rejuvenate multilateralism, in an open letter to Heads of Governments.

Ethical Leadership

The impacts of crises are never gender-neutral and COVID-19 is no exception

Mary Robinson calls for women’s leadership at all levels to be at the core of the COVID-19 response if a roll back on women’s rights is to be prevented. Published in IPS News.

Access to Justice

We must end fossil fuel use alongside a revolution in nature-based solutions to truly build back a safer and fairer world

Juan Manuel Santos warns that nature-based solutions and the protection of biodiversity are not a substitute for accelerating the phase-out of fossil fuels.

Elders join UN75 Global Governance Forum

On 16 and 17 September, Mary Robinson, Ban Ki-moon, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Hina Jilani and Juan Manuel Santos will join the UN75 Global Governance Forum.

Ethical Leadership

COVID-19: a call for urgent action to prepare for the next pandemic

In a foreword for the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board's report "A World in Disorder", co-chairs Gro Harlem Brundtland and Elhadj As Sy lament the world's collective failure to take seriously pandemic prevention and call for urgent action

Juan Manuel Santos: We do not have to choose between a healthy economy and a healthy planet

Juan Manuel Santos calls on G20 leaders to show real leadership in fostering a green recovery from COVID-19, in an address to a virtual session of the F20 High-Level Forum.

The only way to emerge from this pandemic stronger is through dialogue, transparency and accountability

Hina Jilani calls for transparency, accountability and international dialogue in order to emerge stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic

The Elders and The Carter Center: A Virtual Dialogue with Israeli activists

On 5 August, The Carter Center and The Elders virtually convened a round of dialogue with Israeli civil society and human rights activists. Lakhdar Brahimi participated on behalf of The Elders.

Pandemics and the challenges of sustaining peace

Ban Ki-moon addresses a virtual session of the UN Security Council on the challenges of sustaining peace during COVID-19.

Conflict, Ethical Leadership

Black Lives Matter puts injustice and inequality in the spotlight

Ban Ki-moon and Patrick Verkooijen warn that the speed and scale with which wealthy New Yorkers fled the city as COVID-19 struck has served a small taste of what climate apartheid could look like in the decades to come. Published in USA Today.

COVID-19's threat to our global civilisation and the need for collective responsibility

Writing for Kyodo News, Gro Harlem Brundtland calls for collective action to address multiple crises affecting global civilisation, from COVID-19 and climate change to nuclear proliferation and assaults on the multilateral system.

Ethical Leadership

The Elders call on world leaders to take action or risk nuclear catastrophe

The Elders call on the leaders of the five recognised nuclear-weapon states to use the 75th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to begin substantive steps towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons.

Ethical Leadership

#PeaceCrane2020: Imagining a world free from nuclear weapons

The Elders mark the 75th Anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by folding an origami crane and sharing a message of peace.

Ethical Leadership

The nuclear threat is greater than at any point since the Cold War

The Elders’ Policy Advisor, Tom Brookes, blogs on the current state of nuclear tensions and the options for achieving disarmament.

Ethical Leadership

To honour the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 75 years on, we must lay down our nuclear weapons

On the 75th anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Ban Ki-moon warns of the unravelling of nuclear arms controls and urges Presidents Trump and Putin to extend New START. Published in TIME.

Ethical Leadership

Canada can lead on climate change, if leaders match words with deeds

Warning that Canada's international reputation as a leader on ambitious climate action is at risk, Mary Robinson calls on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to match rhetoric around the need for a green economy with action. Published in The Globe and Mail.

The Elders to mark Hiroshima and Nagasaki anniversary with peace crane commemoration

The Elders are calling on world leaders, decision-makers and the public to pause for a moment of reflection and solidarity as the world marks the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6th and 9th August 2020.

Ethical Leadership

Fold your own origami crane: how to take part in #PeaceCrane2020

Sadako Sasaki inspired the world with her origami peace cranes. She folded thousands from her hospital bed before she tragically died from the long-term effects of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

Ethical Leadership

Masahiro Sasaki: on surviving the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, his sister Sadako and his mission to advance peace

Masahiro Sasaki, the only surviving brother of Sadako Sasaki - whose actions sparked a peace movement, blogs on surviving the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

Ethical Leadership

Each of us can bring something valuable to the quest for peace

Sue DiCicco, founder of The Peace Crane Project, explains the importance of Sadako and Masahiro Sasaki to the story of the origami peace crane, and the message of hope it represents today.

Ethical Leadership

The Story of Sadako Sasaki and the Hiroshima Peace Cranes

The origami peace crane has long been associated with Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who died from leukaemia caused by the radioactive fallout of the Hiroshima bombing. Read her story to find out how she began folding cranes and why.

Ethical Leadership

Elders address UK Foreign Affairs Committee on the need for global leadership

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Juan Manuel Santos and Zeid Raad Al Hussein draw on their experiences in office and reflect on challenges facing leaders as they grapple with COVID-19.

Ethical Leadership

New COVID-19 justice fund targets $1 million for grassroots groups

On the heels of Mandela Day, global leaders and civil society groups are proud to launch the COVID-19 Grassroots Justice Fund to help marginalised and oppressed communities protect their rights during the pandemic and ensure equitable recovery.

Access to Justice

In Colombia, it took courage to make peace. I worry Israel is choosing conflict instead

Warning that Israel's threat of annexation risks creating an apartheid-style regime, Juan Manuel Santos draws on his experience of making peace in Colombia, underscoring the importance of the rule of law and respect for universal human rights.

Finding Humanity Webinar: what it means to build back better in a post-COVID-19 world

Mary Robinson & Juan Manuel Santos in discussion with Finding Humanity Podcast host Hazami Barmada on what it means to ‘build back better’ in a post COVID-19 world.

Ethical Leadership

German leadership is critical to building a clean, green recovery to COVID-19

Welcoming the priority German Chancellor Angela Merkel has placed on tackling climate change during Germany's EUCO Presidency, Ban Ki-moon urges German leadership to deliver ambitious solutions that can protect our climate & planet. Published in Die Zeit.

Gro Harlem Brundtland joins UHC Movement Political Advisory Panel

Gro Harlem Brundtland has joined leaders on a new panel to strengthen political support for Universal Health Coverage.

COVID-19 has underscored the importance of resilient health systems

Cautioning against imbalanced health spending as the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, Gro Harlem Brundtland calls on leaders to accelerate progress on achieving Universal Health Coverage.

A century ago, too few leaders had the courage to tackle global threats collectively. Will today's leaders step up?

Warning about the terrible consequences of the failures of multilateralism and far-sighted leadership, Ban Ki-moon urges inclusive governance and collective action to solve global challenges.

Ethical Leadership

The Elders and The Carter Center: A Virtual Dialogue with Palestinian activists

On June 17 and 18, The Carter Center and The Elders virtually convened two rounds of dialogue with Palestinian civil society and political and human rights activists.

The Elders urge European leaders to stand firm on Israeli annexation threats

The Elders have called on European leaders to maintain their resolve against Israel’s plans to annex swathes of the West Bank, and to insist that any such moves would have negative political and economic consequences for bilateral relations.

Palestinian perspectives on the future

The Elders’ Head of Programmes, Jane Kinninmont, writes on Palestinian youth perspectives that were highlighted in a recent virtual dialogue, held as a collaboration between The Elders and The Carter Center.

Israel-Palestine: the realities of occupation

Gro Harlem Brundtland joins Nadav Weiman, a former IDF soldier and Deputy Director of Breaking the Silence, to discuss his military service, the realities of occupation and hopes for peace between Israel and Palestine.

Nuclear proliferation needs a multilateral response just as much as the coronavirus pandemic

Warning that a nuclear conflict remains a clear and present danger today, Ban Ki-moon calls on nuclear powers to reduce their arsenals and invest in a robust global arms control architecture. Published in the South China Morning Post.

Ethical Leadership

Multilateralism is the best insurance policy against global threats

Delivering the John W. Holmes Memorial Lecture on the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, Gro Harlem Brundtland warns that only collective action will enable us to meet the challenges of the coming decades.

Ethical Leadership

Multilateralism offers hope for a sea-change after COVID-19

Writing in The Hill on the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, Mary Robinson warns that COVID-19 will not be overcome unless states work together.

Ethical Leadership

President Trump's attack on multilateralism has betrayed America's national interest

Ernesto Zedillo condemns President Trump's ongoing assault on international covenants and institutions and calls for regional unity to move beyond rhetoric in defending multilateralism. Published in El País.

Ethical Leadership

The Elders urge a revival of multilateralism on UN’s anniversary to reshape the world after COVID-19

The Elders today called on world leaders to recommit to the values of the UN Charter and strengthen the effectiveness of the multilateral system as the best way of overcoming existential threats like pandemics, climate change and nuclear proliferation.

Ethical Leadership

Finding Humanity Podcast: critical conversations with The Elders

Finding Humanity is a new podcast which explores the need for empathetic and principled leadership in the time of COVID-19.

Hope for a sea-change: Why multilateralism must reshape the world after COVID-19

Marking the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, The Elders call for determined and principled leadership that recognises that global challenges require global solutions

Ethical Leadership

We must test to exit COVID-19: Gro Harlem Brundtland joins women leaders calling for urgent action

Gro Harlem Brundtland joins distinguished women leaders from politics and healthcare to call on world leaders to prioritise testing for COVID-19

Artemisa Honduras: empowering girls to reach their potential

Nicolle and Sarahi discuss how information is key to claiming your rights and accessing justice, and how, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Artemisa Honduras continues to support and educate on sexual and reproductive rights in Honduras.

Access to Justice

World Refugee Day 2020

Ban Ki-moon outlines the plight of people who have been forcibly displaced around the world, in particular the Rohingya people, as part of a virtual event to mark World Refugee Day 2020.

Refugees & Migration

COVID-19 should not justify erosion of rights for most marginalised

Mary Robinson marks World Refugee Day 2020 by urging leaders to pay attention to marginalised people whose situation transcends national borders. Published in Thomson Reuters.

Refugees & Migration

My name is not Greta Thunberg: Why diverse voices matter in the climate movement

Xiye Bastida, an 18-year-old Mexican-Indigenous climate justice activist based in New York City, pushes back on click-bait and lazy journalism around coverage of the climate movement.

COVID-19 and the impact on African women: all responses must respect the gendered impacts of the pandemic

In an open letter on the impact of COVID-19 on African women, Graça Machel calls for the criminal justice system to be strengthened and increased efforts around gender-based violence survivor support and protection.

Access to Justice, Ethical Leadership

Youth voices are vital: Intergenerational action on the climate crisis

Over the last ten weeks, The Elders have heard from 12 courageous young climate activists from around the world about their experiences and insights on the climate crisis.

Human Rights Committee Vranje: supporting survivors of domestic violence

Dejana Stosic, of the Human Rights Committee Vranje in Serbia, explains why girls' rights remain important and how the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t stopped them from supporting survivors of gender-based violence.

Access to Justice

Why medical students are calling for a healthy recovery

Omnia El Omrani, a medical student & climate activist from Egypt, reflects on the impact of climate change on public health and calls on governments to recognise investing in health is a key facilitator of sustainable development in the COVID-19 recovery.

Chhori: creating a society with no discrimination towards girls

Hira Dahal, Executive Director of Chhori, discusses working to increase access to justice for survivors of gender based violence in Nepal, addressing human trafficking, and adapting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Access to Justice

On the frontline of the climate crisis in Marshall Islands

Litokne Kabua, a young climate activist from the Marshall Islands, highlights the experience of small island communities living with the impacts of climate change. He implores world leaders to take action before it is too late.

Multilateralism is not an option, it is the only path

Mary Robinson outlines The Elders' defence of multilateralism at a virtual event to mark the 75th anniversary of the UN Charter.

Ethical Leadership

Why The Climate Movement Must Unite Behind The Black Lives Matter Movement

Jamie Margolin, an 18-year-old Colombian American student, author and climate activist, shares a letter to fellow climate activists calling on them to recognise that the “fight for climate justice and the fight for social justice are inseparable.”

Access to Justice, Climate Change

Why are we not speaking about the intersection of health and climate change?

Noting that it took a global pandemic to raise the importance of public health, David Imbago Jácome, a medical doctor from Ecuador, calls for a healthy recovery that takes care of both the most vulnerable and the planet.

Annual Review 2019: Together we can shape a better future for us all

The Elders' 2019 Annual Review is now available to download.

Access to Justice, Climate Change, Conflict, Ethical Leadership, Refugees & Migration, UHC

COVID-19 has gifted us a chance to end gender-based violence. We must take it

Noting that COVID-19 restrictions have resulted in an increase in domestic violence and a decrease in survivors' access to justice, Graça Machel calls for the global epidemic of gender-based violence to be rooted out as boldly as we are tackling COVID-19.

Access to Justice

Climate Change: a threat to human health in Nigeria. Let’s take action!

Adegbile Deborah Morayo, a 12-year-old climate activist from Nigeria, writes about living with the impacts of environmental degradation and how this drives her passion to be a climate activist advocating for the right to a clean and healthy environment.

ASEAN must act to save Rohingya refugees in the Bay of Bengal

As thousands of displaced Rohingya are struggling to find sanctuary in the Bay of Bengal, Ban Ki-moon calls on governments in the region to take action, uphold the rule of law and show solidarity for those in peril on the sea

Refugees & Migration

What is Broken and What is Beautiful: Creative Climate Adaptation

Championed by Ban Ki-moon, Brianna Fruean, a climate activist for Samoa, writes about three things she has seen, learned and been inspired by, across the globe during our current struggles.

Justice For Women Amidst COVID-19: we must safeguard women’s right to access justice

In a foreword for a new report published by UN Women, IDLO, UNDP, UNODC, World Bank and The Pathfinders, Graça Machel calls for action to safeguard women’s right to access justice during the pandemic.

Access to Justice

The Elders call for bold multilateralism to drive global response to COVID-19

The Elders urge leaders to put multilateralism, solidarity and human rights at the heart of their response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to prioritise the health and economic needs of poorer countries in the Global South in the coming weeks and months

Ethical Leadership

COVID-19: Gulf states are well positioned to lead the global response

Wise leadership, strategic investments and an open-minded foreign policy can ensure the Gulf region plays a key role in the global fight against COVID-19, Gro Harlem Brundtland writes in The National.

Ethical Leadership

The Elders launch discussion on COVID-19 and global leadership with new podcast collaboration

The Elders launch discussion on COVID-19 and global leadership with new podcast collaboration

Ethical Leadership

Nationalism and partisan politics make it harder to tackle the existential threats to humanity.

Speaking online at the UN75 Virtual People's Forum on 14 May, Gro Harlem Brundtland discusses the new reality brought by COVID-19 and the attacks suffered by the multlateral system that have made the global fight against the pandemic even more difficult.

Ethical Leadership

A global response to beat the virus is in all countries' interests. No one is safe until everyone is safe.

Ordinary citizens will remember which leaders stepped up to the challenge and delivered for their people, rather than retreating into shrill nationalism and the search for scapegoats, writes Gro Harlem Brundtland. First published in The Independent.

The COVID-19 response shows the real potential of what united climate action could achieve

Erin Fowler, a young climate activist from Scotland, UK, recalls the passion of local communities as they work together with global citizens to tackle transborder issues like climate change and plastic pollution.

Ban Ki-moon: I support the UN’s call for a global ceasefire to help fight COVID-19

COVID-19 is a grave threat to all humanity, but people living in conflict zones are particularly vulnerable to its ravages.

Conflict, Ethical Leadership

Time to focus on a larger fight – coronavirus ceasefires

The Elders’ Head of Programmes, Jane Kinninmont, blogs on the impact of COVID-19 on conflicts around the world

The Elders call for new Middle East peace plan to counter Israeli annexation threat

The Elders today called for new engagement from the international community to deliver a just outcome to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and uphold international law.

The connection between people and nature

Howey Ou, a climate activist from China, says that just as the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the whole planet, so too does the climate crisis. Warning against inaction, she calls for a collective effort to achieve climate justice.

The climate crisis is already here: Why we must listen to voices in the Global South

Vanessa Nakate, a young climate activist from Uganda, outlines the devastating impact of climate change and warns that those on the frontlines must be engaged in finding solutions. She also highlights the challenge of climate activism in the Global South

COVID-19 demands a collective, rights-based response

An uncontrolled contagion, no matter where in the world, and no matter how localised, is a threat to all of humanity. Elder and former President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf writes on the need for global cooperation to beat COVID-19.

Justice must be an essential part of the COVID-19 response and recovery

The recently published Taskforce for Justice report Justice for All and the Public Health Emergency sounds the alarm over the human rights crisis posed by the coronavirus pandemic

Access to Justice

Not losing hope: Climate action and lessons to learn in India

Ridhima Pandey, a 12-year-old climate activist from India explains the motivations behind her environmental activism and why she seeks to raise awareness about caring for the planet.

Too young to understand climate action? Actually, young people are leading the way

Theo Cullen-Mouze, a young climate activist from Ireland, argues that the COVID-19 response shows the capacity of the world to collaborate, mobilise vast resources and take radical action in times of crisis. He calls for intersectional climate justice.

The world and the Latin American and Caribbean region cannot afford delayed or inadequate responses to COVID-19

Ernesto Zedillo, Juan Manuel Santos, Ricardo Lagos and Elder Emeritus, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, outline the steps and policies the Latin American and Caribbean region must take to mitigate the worst of COVID-19.

Ethical Leadership

We need a global solution for a global pandemic

Ricardo Lagos illustrates why Gordon Brown’s initiative—which sees a number of public figures and leaders from around the world being invited to tackle the crisis unleashed by coronavirus—is worth highlighting.

It will take all of us: never too young to lead on the climate crisis

On Earth Day 2020, Mary Robinson launched this series of intergenerational blogs. In her special Earth Day message, Mary Robinson outlined the need for us to respond to the global challenges we face in solidarity.

Climate Change, Refugees & Migration

Migrants' rights and health must be protected in the face of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic is a test of our common humanity. It has revealed our shared vulnerabilities, and only a coordinated response based on justice, solidarity and humanitarian principles can help us overcome it.

Refugees & Migration

The COVID-19 pandemic is widening the justice gap

Justice systems are vital to responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigating its worst effects. A new briefing by the Taskforce on Justice, co-chaired by Hina Jilani calls for urgent action to ensure justice for all. Read her foreword:

Access to Justice

COVID-19: a joint call to the G20 for coordination on health and the economy

The Elders have joined global leaders to call on the G20 to undertake immediate and coordinated health and economic measures in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Skoll Foundation presents 2020 Global Treasure Award to The Elders

Today, The Skoll Foundation honoured The Elders with its Global Treasure Award.

Ethical Leadership

COVID-19 shines a light on our common humanity and shared vulnerabilities

Only by asserting the common bonds of our humanity can we overcome this pandemic

The Elders promote the WHO Safe Hands Challenge

This week three of the Elders took part in the World Health Organization's online challenge to raise awareness of good hand-washing practice during this COVID-19 pandemic

Ethical Leadership, UHC

The Elders call for global resolve and solidarity in the fight against COVID-19

The Elders call for global resolve and solidarity in the fight against COVID-19

International Women's Day 2020

To mark International Women's Day this year, The Elders have shared photos of themselves with women who inspire them, to highlight the importance of women's engagement, leadership and action in seeking a more peaceful and just world.

Universal Health Coverage: an urgent call for increased public financing

Young health leaders joined Gro Harlem Brundtland in a dialogue on achieving Universal Health Coverage. This thought-piece was co-authored by six participants to the discussion, following One Young World’s 2019 Summit in London, UK.

To solve global challenges, leaders must work together in the national interest

At a time when multilateralism is under attack, Ban Ki-moon reflects on the importance of working together to overcome global challenges.

Ethical Leadership

Marking Nelson Mandela's release: 30 years on

30 years on from Nelson Mandela's release from prison, we recall The Elders' memories of their founder.

The Elders warn new US ‘peace’ plan for Middle East is unworkable

The Elders warned today that the new US proposals announced by President Trump cannot provide a workable solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Accelerate Universal Health Coverage to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals

Global health risks like coronavirus underscore the critical importance of resilient health systems in protecting everyone, Ban Ki-moon tells leaders and health experts at PMAC 2020 in Bangkok, Thailand.

It is 100 seconds to midnight: the world needs to recognise and respond to this wake up call

The Doomsday Clock shows we are closer to global catastrophe than ever before - this needs to be a wake-up call for the world.

Climate Change, Ethical Leadership

Climate leadership: it always seems impossible until it’s done

Mary Robinson outlines the concept of climate justice and calls for urgent, multilateral climate leadership to protect current and future generations.

Doomsday Clock 2020: it is 100 seconds to midnight

Mary Robinson and Ban Ki-moon join experts from the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists for the unveiling of the Doomsday Clock

Climate Change, Ethical Leadership

To overcome existential threats, we need to re-energise multilateralism

Unveiling the 2020 Doomsday Clock in Washington D.C., Ban Ki-moon urges global leaders to re-energise multilateralism to overcome existential threats facing humanity.

Climate Change, Ethical Leadership

We are faced by a gathering storm of extinction-level consequences, and time is running out

Unveiling the 2020 Doomsday Clock in Washington D.C., Mary Robinson calls for an urgent change of mindset to challenge the existential threats facing humanity.

Climate Change, Ethical Leadership

Nuclear weapons are Issue Zero

Cecili Thompson Williams, executive director of Beyond the Bomb, highlights the importance of youth activism and leadership to ensure a nuclear weapons-free future

Ethical Leadership

The Doomsday clock is ticking.

The Elders will be unveiling the Doomsday Clock on 23 January 2020

Climate Change, Ethical Leadership

We need new voices in the nuclear disarmament debate

Britt Vegting, a medical student from The Netherlands and advocate for meaningful youth participation in discussions on abolishment of nuclear weapons, writes about her experience as activist raising awareness about the threat of nuclear weapons.

Ethical Leadership

2020 must be a year of multilateral action on nuclear arms, climate and gender

Reflecting on the challenges we face as the world enters a new decade, Mary Robinson highlights the importance of multilateralism and collective solidarity

Climate Change, Ethical Leadership

Multilateral solutions are vital to tackling the global challenges we face

As the United Nations marks the start of its 75th year, Mary Robinson addresses the Security Council on multilateralism, nuclear arms control and gender equality.

Ethical Leadership

2019: a year in review

2019 has been a busy year for The Elders and the world. Find out more about our activities.

Access to Justice, Climate Change, Conflict, Ethical Leadership, Refugees & Migration, UHC

Pages

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Join the conversation

Latest content from our social channels

 Newsletter



Keep up to date with The Elders latest News and Insight:

Sign up to receive monthly newsletters from The Elders. We will occasionally send you other special updates and news, but we'll never share your email address with third parties.

Name *

Email *

Country

I agree to receive The Elders’ COVID-19 digest

I agree to be contacted by email. Privacy Policy



Keep up to date with The Elders’ COVID-19 digest:

Sign up to receive regular updates about The Elders’ activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will never share your email address with third parties.

Close