In an interview with Nadira Hira, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Achim Steiner looks back on his transformative eight-year leadership of the UN's largest development cooperation arm and shares his parting thoughts on the future of global development.

During his tenure, Steiner championed a "future-smart, future-ready UNDP" that focused on walking alongside countries as they chart their development paths. "Development is an expression of the freedom to choose whether as a country or as individuals," Steiner reflects, emphasizing how his administration worked to reinvent the six-decade-old institution daily to meet evolving partner needs.

Steiner pays tribute to UNDP's extensive network and personnel, including 14,000 UN Volunteers worldwide, the Office of South-South Cooperation, and the UN Capital Development Fund—describing them as "a collection of people committed to the idea that the UN development system has a great deal to give to the world."

Even amid global challenges, Steiner remains optimistic about humanity's capacity for change. He observes the "extraordinary capacity of humans" to focus not just on immediate needs but on rebuilding and reconstruction.

"Development is the success story of the 20th century, and now the question is, can we continue that in the 21st century?" Steiner asks. His parting message is clear: "This is a moment where we need to lean forward" rather than retreat into cynicism.

Watch the full interview to hear Steiner's complete reflections on development, hope, and the future of international cooperation.