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Source: United Nations (video statements)

Introducing the Preliminary Report of the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence, Secretary-General António Guterres (1 Jul) said, “the science is here. We can no longer say we did not know. What we do with it is now up to all of us.”

Guterres told reporters in New York that the report “is honest about the extraordinary promise of this technology.”

Used well, he said, “AI could be the most powerful engine for development, speeding the world’s progress on everything from health and hunger to learning and climate,” but warned that the Panel was “just as clear eyed about the harm artificial intelligence can cause.”

The Secretary-General said, “the more AI advances without shared rules, the less say governments and people will have in the outcome.”

He stressed that “this is a preliminary report” and the Panel “will keep working as the technology evolves.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfkty58uZ1E

Source: United Nations (video statements)

In August 2025, the United Nations established two pathbreaking mechanisms for global cooperation on AI: the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence and the Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance. Together, they translate shared principles into practice by bridging scientific evidence, policy dialogue, and international cooperation.

The first session of the Dialogue takes place in Geneva, Switzerland on 6 and 7 July 2026. Ahead of the Dialogue, the UN interviews the co-chairs of the Dialogue, Ambassador Egriselda López of El Salvador and Ambassador Rein Tammsaar of Estonia, and the co-chairs of the Scientific Panel on AI, Yoshua Bengio of Canada and Maria Ressa of the Philippines.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zALv9fAk_Fw

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:
AI Panel and Trip Announcement
Finances
Peacekeeping Budget
Deputy Secretary-General
Lebanon
Sudan
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Venezuela
Ukraine
New Resident Coordinators: Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan
Central African Republic
Financial Contribution

AI PANEL AND TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT

This morning, the Secretary-General introduced the preliminary report of the Independent Scientific Panel on AI. He noted that the Panel, which is made up of 40 experts from around the world, is the first global, fully independent scientific body dedicated to helping close the AI knowledge gap and assess the real impacts of Artificial Intelligence across economies and societies.

The report will inform the discussions taking place next week at the first Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance, which is taking place in Geneva.

And as he announced himself, the Secretary-General will be in Geneva on Monday to take part in the Dialogue and deliver a keynote address. He is also scheduled to hold a number of bilateral meetings with leaders who will be attending the AI Summit.

FINANCES

The Secretary-General, in a statement issued last night, welcomed the decision by the General Assembly to reform financial rules that were putting the Organization’s stability at risk. By its action, the Assembly has agreed to introduce, for a four-year trial period, a new methodology to ensure that unspent funds are returned to Member States only when they are backed by cash.

The Secretary-General said this decision will allow us to manage resources, especially for regular and peacekeeping budgets, in a more predictable and responsible way, and to better deliver on the mandates given to us by those very Member States.

The Secretary-General added that he had been calling for this change since very early in his mandate.

As he just said to you an hour ago, he is grateful to Member States for taking this important action, which will greatly benefit the incoming Administration and contribute to the financial stability of the Organization for a number of years.

PEACEKEEPING BUDGET

The Department of Peacekeeping Operations add that without the change approved by the General Assembly, the UN would have been forced to return $224 million now and another nearly $900 million by July of next year. The change, together with payment in full and on time by all Member States, will allow our peacekeeping missions to continue implementing their mandates and reverse some of the negative impact of the contingency plans implemented during the recently concluded budget cycle.

The Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix thanked Member States for their efforts and the time they devoted to reaching these agreements. He said that we will continue working to improve performance and efficiency so that we can deliver the greatest possible impact for the people and communities we serve, including by helping to protect civilians, monitor and maintain ceasefires, and advance solutions for lasting peace.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-07-01

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtxcXSc17S4