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Mary Robinson

Mary Robinson

16 commentaries
5 videos & podcasts

Mary Robinson, a former president of Ireland and former UN high commissioner for human rights, is Chair of The Elders and Chair of the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre’s Advisory Board.

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  1. Climate Justice
    Tutu15_revisted Getty Images

    Climate Justice

    Sep 12, 2022 Desmond Tutu & Mary Robinson lament the rich world's lack progress toward recognizing what it owes climate-vulnerable countries.

  2. Supplying the Green Transition Must Be Fast and Fair
    robinson17_PABLO COZZAGLIOAFP via Getty Images_bolivialithium Pablo Cozzaglio/AFP via Getty Images

    Supplying the Green Transition Must Be Fast and Fair

    May 12, 2022 Mary Robinson emphasizes that efforts to secure key inputs for clean-energy investments must respect human rights.

  3. How to Make the Pandemic History
    kimoon28_Mahmoud HjajAnadolu Agency via Getty Images_covax Mahmoud Hjaj/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

    How to Make the Pandemic History

    Feb 17, 2022 Ban Ki-moon, et al. call for upcoming high-level international meetings to be used to close the ACT-A funding gap.

  4. Climate Accountability Now
    robinson15_Brook MitchellGetty Images_climate justice Brook MitchellGetty Images

    Climate Accountability Now

    Feb 11, 2022 Mary Robinson considers the steps that will be needed to redress the shortcomings of COP26 in Glasgow.

  5. A Human-Rights Approach to Global Challenges
    robinson14_ Mahmoud HjajAnadolu Agency via Getty Images_covax Mahmoud Hjaj/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

    A Human-Rights Approach to Global Challenges

    Jul 13, 2021 Mary Robinson says that a roadmap already exists to help humanity overcome the pandemic and tackle climate change.

  1. strain27_Philipp von Ditfurthpicture alliance via Getty Images_AIeducation Philipp von Ditfurth/picture alliance via Getty Images

    What the AI Pessimists Are Missing

    Michael R. Strain points out that the technology will help to address many of the risks it creates.
  2. ito37_Spencer PlattGetty Images_columbiaprotests Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    The Innocent Bystanders of College Protests

    Takatoshi Ito laments that a radical minority can disrupt the lives of so many in the broader university community.
  3. lacamera1_Wang DongzhenXinhua via Getty Images_COP28 Wang Dongzhen/Xinhua via Getty Images

    Only Public-Private Cooperation Can Accelerate Decarbonization

    Francesco La Camera & Bruce Douglas explain how to translate political commitments into actual wind turbines and solar panels.
  4. haass167_ANATOLII STEPANOVAFP via Getty Images_ukrainesoldiers Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images

    Defining Success in Ukraine

    Richard Haass

    Jake Sullivan, the US National Security Adviser, has expressed the view that 2025 could be the time for Ukraine to once again mount a counter-offensive against Russian troops. Given the strategic math, that would be a serious mistake.

    calls for a shift to a defensive posture and efforts to bring about a long-term ceasefire.
  5. aslund75_Pierre CromGetty Images_ukraineconflict Pierre Crom/Getty Images

    A Unified Western Strategy for Ukraine

    Anders Åslund proposes a maximalist approach to military aid to replace the current piecemeal injections of old weapons.
  6. khrushcheva180_ContributorGetty Images_shoiguputin Contributor/Getty Images

    Russia’s Battle of the Ministries

    Nina L. Khrushcheva sees a high-ranking official's recent arrest as a sign of declining confidence in Vladimir Putin's leadership.
  7. ghosh77_MANDEL NGANAFP via Getty Images_ajaybanga Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

    The “Billions to Trillions” Charade

    Jayati Ghosh

    Multilateral development banks and international financial institutions argue that mobilizing private investment is crucial to meeting developing economies’ needs for climate and development finance. But boosting government revenues is far more likely to generate the trillions of dollars needed to close these financing gaps.

    explains why using development banks' resources to incentivize private-sector finance is unlikely to succeed.
  8. aljasser1_SEYLLOUAFP via Getty Images_dakarairport Seyllou/AFP via Getty Images

    Leveraging Islamic Finance for Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure

    Muhammad Al Jasser shows how a hybrid financing model could help fund desperately needed projects in the developing world.
  9. GettyImages-1357300450

    Adekeye Adebajo on the Non-Aligned Movement, United Nations peacekeeping, African institution-building, and more

    Adekeye Adebajo argues that Israel’s war in Gaza is accelerating the trend toward global apartheid, highlights the strengths and weaknesses of United Nations peacekeeping missions, criticizes the militarization of US engagement with Africa, and more.

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