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First woman President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; a passionate advocate for gender equality, women’s participation in peace-building, human dignity and climate justice.
Mary Robinson is a founding member and former Chair of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007, who work together for peace, justice, human rights and a sustainable planet. She served as Chair from 2018 – 2024, and is a passionate advocate for gender equality, human dignity and climate justice. As an Elder, she has addressed the UN Security Council on multiple occasions and has met with world leaders to promote global peace, climate action and ethical leadership, including President Ramaphosa in South Africa, Pope Francis in the Vatican, President Macron in Paris, President Xi Jinping in Beijing and President Lula in Brasilia. She was the first woman President of Ireland (1990–1997) and is a former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997–2002). A tireless advocate for justice, she was President of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative from 2002 to 2010. Between 2013 and 2016, she served as the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy in three roles; first for the Great Lakes region of Africa, then on Climate Change until the historic Paris Agreement on Climate Change in 2015 and then as Special Envoy on El Niño and Climate. She was appointed Adjunct Professor for Climate Justice at Trinity College Dublin in 2019.
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