New technology would be central to achieving development goals, with artificial intelligence (AI) leveraged to process data on health, commerce, communications and transportation, entrepreneur Stephen Ibaraki told a joint session of the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) and the Economic and Social Council today.

Governments around the world were focused on improving access to quality education and health care for children and adolescents to ensure they reached their full potential, speakers told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) as they concluded discussion on children’s rights.

On 17 July 2017, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2048 (2012) concerning Guinea-Bissau held informal consultations to hear a briefing from the Chair on his visit to Guinea-Bissau between 13 and 15 June, and to consider the proposed actions on the way forward.

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today heard United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres formally present an initial budget proposal of just over $5.4 billion, before recosting, for the 2018‑2019 budget cycle beginning on 1 January 2018.

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the Alliance for Peacebuilding 2017 Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., today:

Speakers highlighted two milestone anniversaries today — the launch of Sputnik I and the entry into force of the Outer Space Treaty — as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) began its general debate on international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.

Offering differing opinions on the scope and application of the principle of universal jurisdiction, speakers debated whether the appropriate venue for such consideration should be the Sixth Committee (Legal) or the International Law Commission, as that Committee began its debate on the matter today.

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed’s remarks to the joint meeting of the Economic and Social Council and the Second Committee (Economic and Financial), in New York today:

Concluding a visit to the Central African Republic, Adama Dieng, Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, told press in Bangui that those responsible for atrocities and those instrumental in inciting ethnic and religious hatred would be held responsible and would have to face justice.