The workshop organized by UNITAR and the Digital Energy and Sustainable Solutions Campaign (DESSC) focused on how ICTs and social media can contribute to achieving sustainable development around the world, and included examples of various initiatives in this regard.
It also highlighted challenges for ICTs and social media, especially for developing and least developed countries (LDCs).
4 May 2012: A workshop on “Connectedness and Sustainability” highlighted the key role that social media and information and communication technologies (ICTs) could play in facilitating change for sustainable development and raising awareness on sustainability issues.
The workshop, which was held 4 May 2012, in New York, US, was organized by the New York Office (NYO) of the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), in cooperation with the Digital Energy and Sustainable Solutions Campaign (DESSC). It was held as part of the NYO’s Rio Preparation Forum, which was launched to support the preparation process for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20).
The workshop included two panels titled: Social Media for Sustainable Development; and ICTs, Business and the UN: Cooperating to Promote ICTs for Sustainable Development. Discussions focused on how ICTs and social media can contribute to efforts to achieve sustainable development around the world, and included examples of various initiatives in this regard. The workshop also highlighted challenges for ICTs and social media, especially for developing and least developed countries (LDCs). [UNITAR Press Release]