Achim Steiner
 |
Achim Steiner | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 9th Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme | |
| Assumed office 19 April 2017 | |
| Secretary-General | António Guterres |
| Preceded by | Helen Clark |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 May 1961(age63) Carazinho,Rio Grande do Sul,Brazil |
| Nationality | Brazilian,German |
| Alma mater | Worcester College, Oxford SOAS, University of London Harvard Business School |
Achim Steiner(born 17 May 1961) is a Brazilian-born environmentalist who currently serves as the administrator of theUnited Nations Development Programmeand vice-chair ofUnited Nations Sustainable Development Group.
Before joining UNDP, he was executive director of theUnited Nations Environment ProgrammeUNEP (2006–2016), and director of theOxford Martin School(2016–2017). He has also served as director general of theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) and secretary-general of theWorld Commission on Dams.
Early life and education
[edit]The son of a German farmer who had emigrated toRio Grande do Sul,[1]Achim Steiner was born in Brazil in 1961 and holds German as well as Brazilian citizenship. He went to school in Carazinho and atDover College.[1]He obtained abachelor's degreefromWorcester Collegeof theUniversity of Oxfordand amaster's degreefrom theSchool of Oriental and African Studies(SOAS) of theUniversity of London,specializing indevelopment economics,regional planning,international developmentandenvironmental policy.He also studied at theGerman Development Instituteand theHarvard Business School.[2]
Career
[edit]Steiner started his career in 1989 at the Rural Regional Development Department,GIZ,in Germany. From 1991 to 1997 he worked for theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) in Southern Africa and Washington, D.C. He was Chief Technical Adviser of theMekong River Commission(1997–1998) before becoming Secretary-General of theWorld Commission on Dams.In 2001 he returned to IUCN as Director-General.[3]
United Nations Environment Programme, 2006–2016
[edit]Acting on the nomination of Secretary-GeneralKofi Annan,theUnited Nations General Assemblyin 2006 unanimously elected Steiner Executive Director of theUnited Nations Environment Programme(UNEP) for a four-year term. At the time, he was not nominated by a Member State, but prevailed over candidates such asBørge BrendeofNorwayandRajendra K. PachauriofIndia.[4]His mandate was later extended twice, this time on the proposal of the Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon.
The Secretary-General appointed Steiner as director-general of theUnited Nations Office at Nairobi(UNON), where he served from March 2009 to May 2011. Within the UN system he also chaired the High-level Committee on Programmes of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination and theUnited Nations Environment Management Group.On 3 May 2016, Ban Ki-moon announced that the post of executive director of UNEP would be taken over byErik Solheimin June 2016.[5]
Oxford Martin School, 2016–2017
[edit]Upon leaving UNEP, Steiner was appointed director of theOxford Martin School,a post he took up in September 2016.[6]In addition to his role at the University of Oxford, Steiner was appointed Envoy of the Chair of the Platform on Disaster Displacement by the Federal Government of Germany in October 2016.[7]
In late 2015,Reutersreported that Steiner was one of three candidates shortlisted to succeedAntónio GuterresasUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,alongsideHelle Thorning-SchmidtofDenmark,Jasmine Whitbreadof theUnited Kingdom,andFilippo GrandiofItaly;[8][9]the post eventually went to Grandi.[10]
United Nations Development Programme, 2017–present
[edit]In April 2017, following consultations with the executive board of theUnited Nations Development Programme(UNDP), Secretary-GeneralAntónio Guterresappointed Steiner as the programme's new Administrator.[11]On 19 April 2017, theUnited Nations General Assemblyconfirmed him for a four-year term.
In November 2018, Guterres also appointed Steiner to co-chair (alongsideMaria Ramos) the United Nations' Task Force on Digital Financing ofSustainable Development Goals.[12]
Other activities
[edit]- Generation Unlimited, Member of the Board (since 2018)[13]
- Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS(UNAIDS), Ex-Officio Member of the Committee of Cosponsoring Organizations (since 2017)[14]
- International Gender Champions(IGC), Member (since 2017)[15]
- OECD/UNDP Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB), Co-chair of the Governing Board (since 2017)[16]
- German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE), Member (2016–2017, appointed ad personam byChancellorAngela Merkel)[17]
- International Olympic Committee(IOC), Member of the Sustainability and Legacy Commission[18]
- Agora Verkehrswende, Chairman of the Council[19][20]
- Platform on Disaster Displacement, Chair of the Advisory Committee[21]
- China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), International Vice-chair
- Earth Day Network,Member of the Global Advisory Committee[22]
- The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity(TEEB), Member of the Advisory Board[23]
- European Bank for Reconstruction and Development(EBRD), Member of the Environmental Advisory Council (ENVAC)
Honours and awards
[edit]Awards
[edit]- Slovak Republic's gold medal for Diplomatic Service[24]
- Republic of Korea Order of Diplomatic Service Award[25]
- 2012 —The National German Sustainability Award[26]
- 2010 – Leadership Award for Principled Pragmatism – Tällberg Foundation
- 2009 — Officer of theOrder of Saint-Charles(Monaco)
- Shark Guardian of the YearArchived4 February 2016 at theWayback Machine2008 – Shark Project
- 2008 — Schubert Prize – Bruno H. Schubert Foundation[27]
- 2007 —Steiger Award– Umwelt[28]
Honorary degrees
[edit]- Honorary Doctorate,International University in Geneva(IUG)
- Honorary Professor,Tongji University,Shanghai
References
[edit]- ^abMichael McCarthy (8 April 2012), "Achim Steiner: 'We haven't even begun to understand the damage we are bringing to bear on the sustainability of our planet'",The Independent.
- ^"Biography - Achim Steiner".UNDP. Archived fromthe originalon 5 November 2014.Retrieved4 November2014.
- ^"Achim Steiner".World Economic Fourm.Archivedfrom the original on 5 November 2014.Retrieved4 November2014.
- ^"Shortlist of Candidates for Post of Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)",United Nations,press release of 3 March 2006.
- ^"Secretary-General Announces Intention to Appoint Erik Solheim of Norway as Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme".UNEP. Archived fromthe originalon 3 June 2016.Retrieved6 May2016.
- ^"New Director for the Oxford Martin School".Oxford Martin School. 24 February 2016.Retrieved21 June2016.
- ^"Prof. Walter Kaelin, Envoy of the Chair",Platform on Disaster Displacement.
- ^Louis Charbonneau and Tom Miles (8 October 2015),U.N.'s Ban rejects calls to keep refugee chief amid crisisReuters.
- ^Somini Sengupta(11 November 2015),Veteran Italian Diplomat at U.N. to Get Top Refugee PostThe New York Times.
- ^UN appoints Filippo Grandi as next high commissioner for refugeesThe Guardian,12 November 2015.
- ^Secretary-General Nominates Achim Steiner of Germany as Administrator of United Nations Development ProgrammeUnited Nations,press release of 18 April 2017.
- ^Task Force on Digital Financing of Sustainable Development GoalsUnited Nations,press release of 29 November 2018.
- ^World leaders unite under new initiative to provide quality education and training for young peopleArchived25 February 2021 at theWayback MachineGeneration Unlimited, press release of 21 September 2018.
- ^LeadershipJoint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS(UNAIDS).
- ^MembersInternational Gender Champions(IGC).
- ^Governing BoardOECD/UNDP Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB).
- ^Bundeskanzlerin beruft Rat für Nachhaltige Entwicklung neuArchived4 November 2016 at theWayback MachineGerman Council for Sustainable Development (RNE), press release of 26 October 2016
- ^Sustainability and Legacy CommissionInternational Olympic Committee(IOC).
- ^Director: Achim SteinerOxford Martin School,University of Oxford.
- ^CouncilAgora Verkehrswende.
- ^Envoy of the Chair: Achim SteinerPlatform on Disaster Displacement.
- ^Global Advisory CommitteeEarth Day Network.
- ^Advisory BoardThe Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity(TEEB).
- ^Director: Achim SteinerOxford Martin School,University of Oxford.
- ^Director: Achim SteinerOxford Martin School,University of Oxford.
- ^National German Sustainability AwardArchived20 October 2016 at theWayback Machine
- ^https://web.archive.org/*/ bruno-h-schubert-preis.org/index.php?seite=preistraeger&jahr=2007
- ^"Executive Director Biography".UNEP.Retrieved4 November2014.
External links
[edit]
- Interview with Achim SteinerArchived27 June 2018 at theWayback Machine
- Official website of UNEP
- Biography at Oxford Martin School
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
- Living people
- Brazilian officials of the United Nations
- Alumni of SOAS University of London
- Alumni of Worcester College, Oxford
- Alumni of the University of London
- Harvard Business School alumni
- United Nations Environment Programme
- People associated with the International Union for Conservation of Nature
- 1961 births
- German officials of the United Nations
- People from Carazinho