19 June 2012: UN officials, members of the social media community, and civil society and private sector representatives participated in Rio+Social, an online forum that focused on using technology and social media to address the economic, environmental and social issues being discussed at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20).

Rio+Social, which was held on 19 June 2012, was organized by Mashable, 92nd Street Y, Ericsson, Energias de Portugal (EDP), LiveAD, and the UN Foundation to promote dialogue about issues ranging from sustainable energy to poverty eradication beyond Rio+20. During the forum, participants engaged with a global online audience on how technology, particularly online platforms, can contribute to the development of solutions and innovations to address sustainable development issues. The online audience participated by asking questions and adding comments to the live discussions.

Participants included several UN officials, including UN Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark, UN High Commissioner on Human Rights Navi Pillay, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Anthony Lake, and UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet. Participants were addressed via video message by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who underlined the interconnectivity among the world’s citizens enabled by technology, and urged people around the world to “push for action” and challenge their leaders to keep their promises. [UN Press Release] [Rio+Social Website] [Statement of UN Secretary-General]