New technological platforms should be leveraged by the Department of Public Information, the lead communications body of the United Nations, bearing in mind the digital divide that still existed in many parts of the world, speakers told the Committee on Information today.

In accordance with Article IV of the United Nations University (UNU) Charter, the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Director-General Irina Bokova of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have appointed 12 new members to the governing United Nations University Council.  The new appointees, who will take office as of 3 May, replace the retiring 2010–2016 cohort of UNU Council members and will serve for terms of either three or six years.

The Food and Agriculture Organization has warned that food production in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has fallen for the first time since 2010. Total food production is estimated to have declined by 9 per cent from 2014, and the production of rice, the country’s main staple, has dropped by 26 per cent.

Stressing that sustaining peace was an inherently political process requiring coherent, international coordination and support, the General Assembly adopted a wide-ranging resolution today aimed at improving the United Nations peacebuilding architecture before holding a day-long debate on the subject.

On 27 April 2016, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1970 (2011) concerning Libya approved the addition of the entry specified below to its List of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and other measures relating to attempts to illicitly export crude oil from Libya (the Libya Sanctions List), set out in paragraphs 15 and/or 17 of Security Council resolution 1970 (2011) and/or paragraph 19 of resolution 1973 (2011), or paragraph 10 of resolution 2146 (2014), adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations:

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the panel discussion on CTBT@20, in Vienna today:

Expressing deep concern about the high human cost and suffering caused by armed conflict, the Security Council stressed today that a comprehensive approach to transitional justice and an accountable security sector were critical to consolidating peace, reducing poverty and preventing countries from relapsing into conflict.

Disseminating information on the Sustainable Development Goals, building awareness around the need for a humane global approach to refugees, and explaining the impacts of the work of the United Nations during its upcoming leadership change were three priorities for the Department of Public Information in 2016, the Committee on Information heard today, as it opened its thirty-eighth session.

Speakers took stock today of lessons learned in nuclear safety and the state of recovery of the Chernobyl power plant, as the General Assembly marked the thirtieth anniversary of the deadly accident.