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Mary Robinson, Chair of The Elders, delivered the Kofi Annan Peace Address during Geneva Peace Week 2024. Reflecting on Kofi Annan’s legacy and the current global leadership crisis in peace efforts, she called for greater respect for humanitarian law, and advocated for gender parity in leadership, emphasising the need for women’s inclusion in peacebuilding. Full Remarks…
Mary Robinson: “The current failure of leadership is not gender neutral”
Mary Robinson, Chair of The Elders, delivered the Kofi Annan Peace Address during Geneva Peace Week 2024. Reflecting on Kofi Annan’s legacy and the current global leadership crisis in peace efforts, she called for greater respect for humanitarian law, and advocated for gender parity in leadership, emphasising the need for women’s inclusion in peacebuilding. Full Remarks from Mary Robinson Kofi Annan Geneva Peace Address, 15 October 2024. These remarks were first published by The Elders. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen It is an honour and a pleasure to be with you here tonight in my capacity as Chair of The Elders to deliver the Kofi…
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The Elders today urged Zimbabweans to put the national interest first, reject violence at all stages in the electoral process, and work together to ensure a free, fair and transparent poll on 30 July. Kofi Annan, Lakhdar Brahimi and Mary Robinson met President Emmerson Mnangagwa, MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa and other presidential…
The Elders call on all Zimbabweans to put national interest first as poll nears
The Elders today urged Zimbabweans to put the national interest first, reject violence at all stages in the electoral process, and work together to ensure a free, fair and transparent poll on 30 July. Kofi Annan, Lakhdar Brahimi and Mary Robinson met President Emmerson Mnangagwa, MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa and other presidential candidates on a two-day visit to Harare organised with the support of the Kofi Annan Foundation. They hailed the improvement in fundamental freedoms that has obtained in Zimbabwe since the end of 2017, and President Mnangagwa’s repeated emphasis on free and fair elections. The Elders also commended the…
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This news release originally appeared on the website of the Elders. The Elders today condemned the decision of the United States to withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council as an alarming act of isolationism that will make it harder to defend the rights and dignity of vulnerable people worldwide. Kofi…
The Elders condemn US withdrawal from UN Human Rights Council
This news release originally appeared on the website of the Elders. The Elders today condemned the decision of the United States to withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council as an alarming act of isolationism that will make it harder to defend the rights and dignity of vulnerable people worldwide. Kofi Annan, Chair of The Elders and former UN Secretary-General, said: “The Human Rights Council is an integral part of the international system that helps protect fundamental rights and values. I deplore the US withdrawal, which stands at odds with its historic traditions and sends a signal to others…
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The Elders have urged the United States to recommit funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to prevent a drastic cut in its essential services such as healthcare and education to those in need across the Middle East. In a letter to the US Secretary of…
The Elders urge US to recommit funding for UN Palestinian refugee agency
The Elders have urged the United States to recommit funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to prevent a drastic cut in its essential services such as healthcare and education to those in need across the Middle East. In a letter to the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the Chair of The Elders, Kofi Annan, wrote: “UNRWA is an essential bulwark against further instability and radicalisation in a Middle East that is wracked by strife. My fellow Elders join me in this urgent appeal to you to continue the vital support that the…
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The Elders today strongly criticised the US decision to move its Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem as a serious blow to peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and urged other countries not to follow suit. They reaffirmed their long-held position that the city of Jerusalem must be shared between Israelis and Palestinians as…
The Elders deplore US Embassy move to Jerusalem as threat to peace
The Elders today strongly criticised the US decision to move its Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem as a serious blow to peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and urged other countries not to follow suit. They reaffirmed their long-held position that the city of Jerusalem must be shared between Israelis and Palestinians as part of a two-state solution based on the internationally-recognised 1967 border, which respects the human and political rights of all its residents. Kofi Annan, Chair of The Elders and former UN Secretary-General, said: “Repeated UN resolutions make clear that the status of Jerusalem can only be changed by…
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The Elders today called on the Israeli Government to fully comply with international humanitarian law and respect the right to peaceful protest of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. Their call follows the killing of 48 demonstrators and injury of almost 7,000 others, many of them children, by the Israeli army in…
The Elders demand Israel respects international law to stop further Gaza protest killings
The Elders today called on the Israeli Government to fully comply with international humanitarian law and respect the right to peaceful protest of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. Their call follows the killing of 48 demonstrators and injury of almost 7,000 others, many of them children, by the Israeli army in the past month. They warned of the danger of more casualties in the run-up to 15 May, when Palestinians mark what they call the “nakba”, or catastrophe – a day after Israel commemorates the 70th anniversary of its independence. Two-thirds of Gaza’s residents are classified by the UN…
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This news release originally appeared on the website of the Elders. The Elders strongly condemned President Trump’s decision today to withdraw the United States from the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran: the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA. They called on the other signatories to the deal – France, Germany, the…
The Elders urge JCPOA signatories to stick to deal despite US withdrawal
This news release originally appeared on the website of the Elders. The Elders strongly condemned President Trump’s decision today to withdraw the United States from the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran: the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA. They called on the other signatories to the deal – France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, China and the European Union — to continue to do everything in their power to sustain its spirit and implementation. Kofi Annan, Chair of The Elders, former UN Secretary-General and a Nobel Peace Laureate, said: “The JCPOA was a hard-won diplomatic achievement and proof of…
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The Elders today expressed their deep concern about the potential risks posed by “Brexit” — the decision of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union — to the Good Friday Agreement that has helped secure peace in Northern Ireland for the past two decades. At their recent board meeting in London,…
The Elders warn Brexit “hard border” could pose threat to peace in Northern Ireland
The Elders today expressed their deep concern about the potential risks posed by “Brexit” — the decision of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union — to the Good Friday Agreement that has helped secure peace in Northern Ireland for the past two decades. At their recent board meeting in London, The Elders hailed the twentieth anniversary of the Agreement and the inspiration it has given to others around the world seeking to end bloody conflicts. They warned that the imposition of a “hard border” between the six counties of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as part…
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The Elders have urged the governments of 31 countries, including Brazil, India and South Africa, to sign a UN Code of Conduct initiative committing them not to obstruct credible Security Council resolutions designed to halt or prevent mass atrocities. The Code of Conduct was launched by the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency (ACT)…
The Elders urge member states to take action at UN to prevent mass atrocities
The Elders have urged the governments of 31 countries, including Brazil, India and South Africa, to sign a UN Code of Conduct initiative committing them not to obstruct credible Security Council resolutions designed to halt or prevent mass atrocities. The Code of Conduct was launched by the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency (ACT) group of countries in October 2015 in response to the Security Council’s failure to take action in Syria, and it has now been signed by nearly two-thirds of UN member states. The Elders believe that recent events in Syria underscore the need for concerted action to prevent mass…
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The Elders today encouraged all political actors in Zimbabwe to deliver integrity and transparency across the country’s transition, including a level playing field ahead of the upcoming elections. They reaffirmed how important it is that the electoral process and subsequent actions lead to a significant strengthening of civilian authority at all levels…
The Elders encourage integrity and transparency across Zimbabwe's transition
The Elders today encouraged all political actors in Zimbabwe to deliver integrity and transparency across the country’s transition, including a level playing field ahead of the upcoming elections. They reaffirmed how important it is that the electoral process and subsequent actions lead to a significant strengthening of civilian authority at all levels of the state. The concerns of civil society around rule of law, security and a fair process of electoral registration need to be heard before, during and after the elections to help ensure legitimacy. The Elders encouraged the Government of Zimbabwe to foster open dialogue with opposition representatives,…
