Brussels, March 22, 2010 – Marina Ponti, UN Millennium Campaign Deputy Director for Europe, today delivered the keynote presentation to the TH!NK ABOUT IT global blogging competition, which devoted its 3rd edition to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). TH!INK ABOUT IT is an initiative of the Brussels-based European Journalism Centre, bringing together more than 100 journalists and bloggers from around the world for a five-month blogging competition aimed at creating a “buzz” on development issues in the lead up to the High Level Review of the MDGs at the United Nations in September.

At the opening session, Ponti presented an e-card developed jointly by the UN Millennium Campaign and more than 100 civil society organizations, which calls on European leaders to meet their commitments on aid quantity and effectiveness.

Ponti encouraged the bloggers to use their platforms to hold their Governments accountable for keeping their commitments to achieve the MDGs. She also encouraged them to become active and engaged in their political processes.

“With only five years to go [until the 2015 deadline for achieving the MDGs], what is clearly lacking is not resources or technologies, but political will,” she said.

Stay tuned to www.endpoverty2015.org beginning on April 5 to read some of the blog entries.

TH!NK3 - Marina Ponti Keynote from European Journalism Centre on Vimeo.