Long-View Leadership

Insights from The Elders

António Guterres greets Mary Robinson and Ban Ki-moon, members of The Elders (2019). Photo: UN Photo/Loey Felipe

Founded by Nelson Mandela, The Elders is an independent group of global leaders working together for peace, justice, human rights, and a sustainable planet. Today, as the multilateral system faces unprecedented strain from geopolitical fragmentation and overlapping existential threats, they offer practical, long-term proposals to revitalize global cooperation and reshape international institutions for the realities of the 21st century.

Here is a roundup of recent policy material from The Elders on the future of multilateralism:

Global Cooperation in a Fragmented World: Proposals for Action (September 2025)

Released ahead of the 2025 UN General Assembly, this report argues that no single country alone can tackle climate change, nuclear proliferation, pandemics, AI, or other existential threats. It sets out a series of recommendations to reform UN architecture and calls for bold political leadership to reshape the multilateral system to ensure fair, effective, and legitimate outcomes.

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What Is Long-view Leadership and Why Are Elders Calling for It? (February 2024)

In a joint call to action with the Future of Life Institute, The Elders proposes a new approach to decision-making designed to tackle existential threats, outlining five core principles of “long-view leadership” to get global decision-makers to move beyond short-termism. The accompanying open letter calls on leaders to revitalize multilateralism and collaborate on practical solutions for the good of both current and future generations.

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