The Board

Mary Robinson

Mary Robinson has been a leading campaigner for human rights throughout her life. She served as the first female President of Ireland between 1990 and 1997. At the end of her tenure, in recognition of her commitment to justice and equality, she was appointed as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, a position she held between 1997 and 2002.

Mary Robinson

Dr. Robinson is widely recognised for having developed a new level of engagement between Ireland and the developing world during her Presidency. She was the first head of state to visit famine stricken Somalia, and the first to visit Rwanda after the genocide.

Since leaving the United Nations in 2002, Dr. Robinson has continued to champion developing world issues through the founding of Realizing Rights, an ethical globalisation initiative focusing on developing fair and equitable trade, strengthening responses to HIV/AIDS and shaping more humane migration policies.

Dr. Robinson has received widespread recognition for her efforts in the international arena. In 2004, she was made an Amnesty International ‘Ambassador of Conscience'. She is the honorary president of Oxfam International and a member of the Global Elders.

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Opinion Pieces and Articles

  •       
    Don't marginalise the poor - Oxfam Blog
    Commerce , Development, Economical, International Community, MDGs, Poverty
    02 April 2009

    I am worried about what the outcome of this G20 Summit will be for poor developing countries. I understand from experience how these kind of discussions are held and the pressures that are exerted. But I do get the strong sense today that the G20’s focus is much closer to home – that this meeting ...

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  •      
    Some good news out of Africa for a change - The Independent
    Conflict, Governance, Peace-building, Regional Relations / Regional Integration, Women / Gender
    25 March 2009

    The war zone of the Democratic Republic of Congo is not a place that is usually associated with hope. The statistics quickly challenge optimism. Since 1998, the country has lost 5.4 million people to conflict, and more than a million people are still displaced in the eastern part of the country. ...

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    Climate change is an issue of human rights - The Independent
    Development, Environment / Climate Change, Human Rights, Multilateral Institutions
    10 December 2008

    Sixty years ago today, the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the cornerstone document created in the aftermath of unimaginable atrocities. This declaration, and the legal documents that stemmed from it, have helped us combat torture, discrimination and hunger. ...

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    Rights demand strong institutions - Comment is free, with Desmond Tutu - The Guardian
    Commerce , Development, Economical, Governance, Human Rights, Poverty, Public Institutions, Women / Gender
    07 December 2008

    Sixty years ago this week, the UN adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the first international proclamation of the inherent dignity and equal rights of all people. To this day, the declaration remains the single most important reference point for discussion of ethical values across ...

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