Mary Robinson

Mary Robinson, born on May 21, 1944, is an independent Irish politician, the 7th President of the Irish Republic, and the first female President in Irish history. She served as a council member at the University of Dublin from 1969 to 1989. From 1997 to 2002, she served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. She was a scholar, lawyer, and activist before becoming the first independent candidate nominated by the Labor Party, Workers' Party, and Independent Senate in the 1990 presidential election. She was the first person in Irish history to be elected president without Republican support. She is widely recognized as a transformative figure in Ireland, and during her presidency, she opened up a conservative and low-key political environment before revitalizing it. Two months before the end of her term, she announced her resignation and took over the position of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. In 1998, she visited Tibet; She criticized Ireland's immigration policy and accused the United States of using capital punishment. She extended her four-year term by one year and presided over the World Conference against Racism held in Durban, South Africa in 2001. Under continuous pressure from the United States, Robinson resigned in September 2002. After leaving the United Nations, Robinson proposed an initiative to achieve the globalization of rights and ethics, which was scheduled to be completed in 2010. The core activities of this initiative include promoting trade equity and decent work; 2. Promote the right to health and more humane immigration policies; 3. Strengthen women's leadership and encourage enterprises to take on social responsibility. The organization supports capacity building and good governance in developing countries. At the end of 2010, Robinson returned to Ireland and established the Mary Robinson Foundation - Climate Justice. She is committed to building the organization into a center for ideological leadership and education, and advocating for justice for the victims of global climate change. Those victims live in poverty, their rights are not guaranteed, they belong to the marginalized groups of society, and are often forgotten. Robinson was a member of the Council of the University of Dublin and the Director of the Institute of Human Rights and Business. Since 2004, she has become a professor of international affairs practice at Columbia University, mainly teaching international human rights courses. At the same time, she has also given lectures on international human rights at other universities. She is a member of the board of directors of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, which supports good governance and outstanding leadership in Africa; She is also a member of the Ibrahim Prize Committee under the foundation. Since 2005, she has served as the Honorary Chairman of the European University Center for Human Rights and Democratization (EIUC). She is also the Director of IIED at the International Institute for Environment and Development, a founding member and Chairman of the World Women's Leadership Council, and a European member of the Tripartite Commission. She was awarded the Conscience Ambassador Award by Amnesty International for her commitment to promoting human rights.