News
GMDF in Action: Donors and Partners Convene for Press Freedom in Brussels
The Global Media Defence Fund at Six Years
The Global Media Defence Fund offers targeted support through its four strategic pillars: legal assistance, investigative journalism, strategic litigation, and international legal cooperation, all of which were addressed during the event.
At the event, six years into its implementation, the Fund has proven its importance, as reported under the preliminary findings of its external evaluation. The evaluation stated that the GMDF has contributed to better legal protection for journalists in an increasingly precarious environment and that it remains well positioned to evolve its delivery model.
This work [GMDF’s work] is transformative and lifesaving. We call on all partners to recommit, financially and politically, to ensuring the sustainability of the GMDF. As threats multiply, we must not retreat. The right to know, to question, and to report must be protected for everyone, everywhere.
Legal Support: Closing Critical Protection Gaps
UNESCO considers legal support as one of the Fund’s most vital interventions, especially in addressing the growing misuse of judicial systems to harass and silence journalists. Charlene Nagae of Tornavoz, a Brazilian civil society organization, highlighted how GMDF funding has empowered them to defend women journalists facing targeted legal threats. With 24 active cases and six favorable outcomes already achieved, this work directly tackles the gendered dimensions of legal harassment and offers a model for rights-based legal defense strategies.
Investigative Journalism: Exposing Abuses and Demanding Accountability
The GMDF’s support for investigative journalism addresses the impunity for crimes against journalists. Carmela Fonbuena of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) described how GMDF backing has enabled in-depth reporting on crimes against journalists - investigations that not only document violations but also catalyze renewed efforts for justice by engaging authorities and reopening dormant cases. This pillar reinforces the indispensable role of a free press in holding power to account.
Strategic Litigation: Reshaping Legal Frameworks
Through strategic litigation, the Fund enables systemic legal challenges that go beyond individual cases. Ikechukwu Uzoma of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights described how GMDF support has made it possible to bring systemic challenges to regional and subregional courts in West Africa to combat structural weaknesses that leave journalists vulnerable.
The extent of GMDF support for strategic litigation is one we haven’t seen this last decade. Strategic litigation takes a while. Most times it goes to put out fires as opposed to preventing future harm. GMDF enabled us to identify the existing protection gaps in East and West Africa and to understand why those gaps exist and how to fill them with strategic litigation.
International Legal Cooperation: Building Global Resilience
The importance of international collaboration was underscored by Irene Khan, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, alongside Amy Brouillette of the Media Freedom Coalition Consultative Network and Catherine Anite of the High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom. Khan emphasized how the Fund amplifies her mandate’s reach and impact:
This leverage is extremely important at a time when resources and space for action are shrinking. Support for democracy is of vital importance. Attacks on media freedom are a top threat to democracy - and things are likely to get worse. It is important for this work to be recognized - not in the fringes of the international arena but at the center of it.
Looking Ahead: Sustaining a Vital Mission
As the external evaluation has shown, the GMDF is considered having delivered meaningful impact and is also well positioned to evolve its delivery model. In a shrinking civic space and amid a precarious global funding landscape, the briefing made clear that sustained investment in the Fund is urgently needed. Meaningful support for independent journalism remains crucial to fostering informed societies and accountable governance.
