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Johns Hopkins SAIS to host Achim Steiner, Administrator of the UN Development Programme, for virtual fireside chat with SAIS Dean James B. Steinberg on April 6

MEDIA ADVISORY

Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) will host Mr. Achim Steiner, Administrator of the UN Development Programme on Thursday, April 6 to discuss key issues for sustainable development ahead of the 2023 World Bank and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings. Mr. Steiner became Administrator of the UN Development Programme on June 19, 2017, and is also the Vice-Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group, which unites 40 entities of the UN system that work to support sustainable development.

Amid multiplying, overlapping crises -- from COVID-19 to the climate crisis, conflict, and adverse trends in poverty reduction and human development -- the conversation will focus on how the multilateral system created in the wake of World War II is facing renewed and rising calls for reform to address 21st century challenges.

Speakers

James B. Steinberg
Dean, Johns Hopkins SAIS

Achim Steiner
Administrator of the UN Development Programme

Time and Date
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. ET
Thursday, April 6, 2023

Location
Zoom Webinar

Registration
This event is open to the public and media, with registration. This event is on the record.

Media Contact
Asma Yousef
Associate Director of Communications
Johns Hopkins University
+1 (771) 200-6659
[email protected]

About the Speakers

James B. Steinberg is the 10th Dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Most recently, he served as the University Professor of Social Science, International Affairs, and Law at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, where he was also Dean from 2011 to 2016. Before joining Syracuse University, he was Deputy Secretary of State from 2009 to 2011, serving as the principal deputy to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. From 2005 to 2008, Steinberg held the role of Dean of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas. Prior to joining the University of Texas, he was vice president and director of Foreign Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution from 2001 to 2005. From 1996 to 2000, Steinberg served as Deputy National Security Advisor to President Bill Clinton. During this time, he also served as the president’s personal representative to the 1998 and 1999 G8 summits. Before the Deputy National Security Advisor role, Steinberg held positions as director of the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Analysis at the Bureau of Intelligence and Research.

Steinberg’s most recent books are A Glass Half Full? Rebalance, Reassurance and Resolve in the U.S.-China Relationship and Strategic Reassurance and Resolve: U.S.-China Relations in the 21st Century. Steinberg wrote both books with Michael O’Hanlon. His recent book chapters and articles include: “Too Much History: American Policy and East Asia in the Shadow of the Past” in Texas National Security Review; “Present at the ‘Re-Creation’: The Role of the State Department in Formulating and Implementing U.S. Global Policy” in America’s National Security Architecture; “United States: Grappling with Rising Powers” in Shaper Nations: Strategies for a Changing World; and “History, Policymaking, and the Balkans: Lessons Imported and Lessons Learned” in The Power of the Past, History and Statecraft. Steinberg is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards and recognitions, including the CIA Director's Medal, Joseph J. Kruzel Memorial Award from the American Political Science Association, and Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award.

Achim Steiner became UNDP Administrator on June 19, 2017. The United Nations General Assembly confirmed his appointment following his nomination by Secretary-General António Guterres. In April 2021, the General Assembly confirmed his appointment to a second four-year term beginning in June 2021.

Steiner is also the Vice-Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group, which unites 40 entities of the UN system that work to support sustainable development. Over nearly three decades, Achim Steiner has been a global leader on sustainable development, climate resilience and international cooperation. He has worked tirelessly to champion sustainability, economic growth and equality for the vulnerable, and has been a vocal advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals.

Prior to joining UNDP, he was Director of the Oxford Martin School and Professorial Fellow of Balliol College, University of Oxford. Mr. Steiner has served across the United Nations system, looking at global challenges from both a humanitarian and a development perspective. He led the United Nations Environment Programme (2006-2016), helping governments invest in clean technologies and renewable energy. He was also Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi. Achim Steiner previously held other notable positions including Director General of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and Secretary General of the World Commission on Dams.

Achim Steiner has lived and worked in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Latin America and the United States. He graduated in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (MA) from Worcester College, Oxford University and holds an MA from the University of London/School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

Johns Hopkins SAIS

A division of Johns Hopkins University, the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) is a global institution that offers students an international perspective on today's critical issues. For more than 75 years, Johns Hopkins SAIS has produced great leaders, thinkers, and practitioners of international relations. Public leaders and private sector executives alike seek the counsel of the faculty, whose ideas and research inform and shape policy. Johns Hopkins SAIS offers a global perspective across three campus locations: Bologna, Italy; Nanjing, China; and Washington, D.C. The school's interdisciplinary curriculum is strongly rooted in the study of international economics, international relations, and regional studies, preparing students to address multifaceted challenges in the world today.

For more information, visit sais.jhu.edu or on Twitter @SAISHopkins


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Date: 
Thursday, March 30, 2023