41 Quotes by Mary Robinson

You hear and read of the destruction, see pictures, ... very devastating ... to come and see row after row of blackened, destroyed homes.

Count up the results of 50 years of human rights mechanisms, 30 years of multibillion-dollar development programs and endless high-level rhetoric, and the global impact is quite underwhelming, ... This is a failure of implementation on a scale which shames us all.

I've always recognized as high commissioner the importance of standing up to bullies, addressing short-comings and being outspoken, an awkward voice.

It is necessary to ensure that the requirement to combat terrorism is not used to clamp down on freedom of expression, legitimate dissent, freedom of association and so on.

The fossil-fuel-based development model has not benefitted all people and those who have benefitted least are now suffering great harm in the face of climate change.

The changing climate is a threat to human rights.

We now know that climate change is a driver of migration, and is expected to increase the displacement of populations.

As Elders we have great respect for all religions and traditions as important forces that bind people together. Faith and tradition provide much of the foundation of our laws and social codes. But where religion and tradition are used to justify discrimination and especially when they are used to justify cruel and harmful practices such as female genital mutilation, infanticide and child marriage, then we believe that is unacceptable.

Young persons, because of their immaturity, may not fully comprehend the consequences of their actions and should therefore benefit from less severe sanctions than adults. More importantly, it reflects the firm belief that young persons are more susceptible to change, and thus have a greater potential for rehabilitation than adults.