ABOUT

Mary Robinson is a founding member of The Elders and Chair since 2018. The first woman President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson is a passionate champion of gender equality, multilateralism and climate justice.

Mary Robinson’s address considers our shared challenges, the power of collective action and solidarity to tackle the common existential threats we all face, including climate change, nuclear weapons and pandemics. Remembering the spirit in which Nelson Mandela launched The Elders, she emphasises how humanity can thrive when we act with a common purpose.

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ABOUT

Zeid Raad Al Hussein is the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, veteran UN diplomat, peacekeeping expert, and member of The Elders since January 2019.

An outspoken advocate for human rights in all its forms, Mr Al Hussein is not afraid to call out the powerful by name. He is currently serving as President and CEO of the International Peace Institute (IPI) in New York.

Zeid Raad Al Hussein’s address reflects on how to reassert human rights as the lodestar of international affairs. Achieving universal respect for human rights must mean an end to the hypocrisy by world leaders, and the international community must exert credible pressure on leaders and regimes who do not respect human rights norms.

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