2010 was a landmark year for the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) in many ways. It marked 50 years since the DAC was founded, it was the year Eckhard Deutscher handed over the Chair to Brian Atwood, and it marked the coming of age of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. In this article, the out-going DAC Chair reflects on the lessons of the past and concludes that despite the many changes and new challenges, development co-operation is as relevant today as ever. He sets three key priorities for the DAC and its members as they embark on the next 50 years. These are to stay true to the commitments made to increase aid volumes, continue to be guided by the principles of effective aid in an increasingly complex context, and reach out to all providers of development co-operation in the effort to create an effective global development partnership.