In June 2012, 40,000 people met in Rio de Janeiro and agreed that change and coordinated global responses were needed in response to the severe sustainability challenges that the world is facing. Following up on Rio+20, the UN is continuing its efforts to promote sustainable development and to prepare a new development agenda that will take us beyond 2015.

In this context, the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is taking action. On 24 September, the Council will hold a special meeting at the Ministerial level to discuss how to further strengthen a multilateral system for sustainable development.

To help shape the conversation, DESA and the Department of Public Information has launched an online global forum, “Building the Future We Want” from 12 to 24 September 2012.

It takes only four simple steps to participate for a sustainable future:
1. Get the word out to your friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter.
2. Visit http://bit.ly/ecosocWE on Facebook and/or use #futureWEwant or #beyond2015 on Twitter.
3. Participate and ask your friends, and family members to post their questions on what, why, and how countries should deal with sustainability challenges (rising unemployment, food security, biodiversity, climate change, financing and technology transfer). Selected questions will be answered live on 24 September.
4. On 24 September, watch live responses to your questions on www.un.org/en/ecosoc/we; www.un.org/webcast ; www.livestream.com/ecosoc

We need new and innovative ideas. And you can help!

Be part of the journey towards a sustainable future, building the future we want.