General Assembly Confirms Appointment of Achim Steiner United Nations Development Programme Administrator

The General Assembly this morning confirmed the appointment of Achim Steiner of Germany as Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for a four-year term of office beginning 20 April.

The Secretary-General had requested the appointment following consultations with members of the Executive Board of UNDP.

Mr. Steiner is currently the Director of the Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford, and Professorial Fellow at Balliol College, Oxford, since 2016.  His professional experience includes assignments with governmental, non-governmental and international organizations around the world, most recently as Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), from 2006 to 2016, and Director General of the United Nations Office in Nairobi (UNON) from 2009 to 2011.  He was Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) between 2001 and 2006, having served as Secretary-General of the World Commission on Dams, in South Africa, from 1998 to 2001.

Mr. Steiner succeeds Helen Clark of New Zealand who served two terms as Administrator, beginning on 20 April 2013 and ending on 19 April 2017.