The Elders are delighted to announce that Ricardo Lagos, former President of Chile, has accepted their invitation to join the group

The Elders are delighted to announce that Ricardo Lagos, former President of Chile, has accepted their invitation to join the group.

Mr. Lagos, 78, served as President of Chile from 2000-2006. A lawyer and an academic, he served as a delegate to several UN conferences under Salvador Allende and played a key role in securing Chile’s return to democracy in the late 1980s after the dictatorship of General Pinochet. After leaving office, he established a foundation for the promotion of democracy and development in Santiago.

Kofi Annan, Chair of The Elders, said:

“I am delighted to welcome Ricardo Lagos to our group. He is internationally respected as a tenacious fighter for democracy and human rights in his own country and the wider world. He brings to The Elders his strong commitment to equality and social progress. We look forward to working with him, to address some of the intractable conflicts plaguing our world and help change people’s lives for the better.”

Ricardo Lagos added:

“It is a huge honour to join this esteemed group, which plays such an important role in fighting for peace, justice and human rights. Our world faces many grave problems that require us to join hands and share our different experiences. I hope that by adding my voice to those of my fellow Elders we can also ensure that the needs of the most vulnerable in our societies do not go overlooked.”

The Elders are independent leaders using their collective experience and influence for peace, justice and human rights worldwide. The group was founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007.

The Elders are Martti Ahtisaari, Kofi Annan (Chair), Ela Bhatt, Lakhdar Brahimi, Gro Harlem Brundtland (Deputy Chair), Hina Jilani, Graça Machel, Mary Robinson and Ernesto Zedillo.

Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Jimmy Carter and Desmond Tutu are Honorary Elders.