Ireland 
Vanessa Nakate to Open Giving Black Conference 2026 With Climate Justice Keynote
2 weeks ago
Mary Robinson is an internationally recognized leader, having served as the first woman President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. She is a passionate advocate for gender equality, human dignity, and climate justice.
First woman President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; former Chair of The Elders; a passionate advocate for gender equality.
The first woman President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson is a passionate, forceful advocate for gender equality. She serves as Patron of the Board of the Institute of Human Rights and Business.
Mary Robinson serves as Patron of the International Science Council.
As Honorary Chair of the Business Leaders' Initiative on Human Rights, she was particularly aware of its examples of good practice.
Since 2005 she is honorary president of the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation EIUC.
She is a former Chair of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).
She is a founding member and chair of the Council of Women World Leaders.
She served as Oxfam's honorary president from 2002 until she stepped down in 2012.
Member and former president of Club de Madrid, a group of global leaders working on governance and conflict issues.
Board Member of Aurora Foundation and member of the selection committee.
Member of the Leadership Council for the Clean Cooking Alliance.
Board member of the European Climate Foundation.
Head of the International Commission of Jurists from 2009-2011.
Member of the Lead Group (since 2016, appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon).
Ambassador for The B Team and contributing member.
Honorary co-chairwoman of the World Justice Project.
Board member of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.
Member of the Campaign for Nature’s Global Steering Committee.
Co-host of the 'Mothers of Invention' podcast.
Member of the Advisory Board of Sustainable Energy For All (SE4All).
Born Mary Therese Winifred Bourke on May 21, 1944, in Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland, Mary Robinson embarked on a distinguished career in law and politics. The daughter of two medical doctors, she pursued legal studies at Trinity College Dublin, graduating with first-class honors in 1967. She furthered her education at King’s Inns, being called to the Irish Bar in 1967, and earned an LL.M from Harvard Law School in 1968. In 1969, at the age of 25, Robinson was appointed Reid Professor of Criminal Law at Trinity College and was simultaneously elected as an independent senator to Seanad Éireann. During her twenty years in the Seanad, she championed progressive causes, including the decriminalization of homosexuality, the legalisation of contraception, and securing the right for women to serve on juries. Her early career also saw her fighting landmark court cases, advocating for equal pay in public service for women and challenging discriminatory tax laws.
Robinson’s political career reached a pinnacle in 1990 when she was elected the seventh President of Ireland, becoming the first woman to hold the office. Her seven-year presidency was marked by a commitment to social justice and human rights, earning her high approval ratings among the Irish public. During this period, she signed into law significant bills for which she had long campaigned, including the full liberalization of contraceptive laws and the decriminalization of homosexuality. Her presidency also focused on international relations, with notable visits to Somalia during a famine in 1992 and meetings with Queen Elizabeth II in 1993, marking the first visit by a serving Irish president to the United Kingdom. She also met with Gerry Adams in Belfast, a move that stirred controversy but showcased her dedication to reconciliation.
Following her presidential term, Robinson was appointed the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in 1997, where she served until 2002. In this role, she became a prominent global voice, advocating for human rights and integrating human rights standards into the UN system. Her tenure included historic visits to Tibet in 1998 and presiding over the 2001 World Conference against Racism. Post-UN, she continued her advocacy through initiatives like Realizing Rights: the Ethical Globalization Initiative and became a founding member of “The Elders.” She has held various significant roles, including Chancellor of the University of Dublin and UN Special Envoy for Africa’s Great Lakes region, on Climate Change, and on El Niño and Climate, consistently working towards global justice, gender equality, and sustainable development.
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