Global Media Defence Fund

2021 Call for Partnerships

Until 15 June 2021, UNESCO received innovative proposals from specialized not-for-profit entities for the implementation of local, regional and international projects that, in line with international human rights standards, will contribute to enhancing media freedom and bolstering journalists’ legal protection by advancing at least one of the following GMDF Outputs: 

• Output 2: Reinforcing the operationalization of national protection mechanisms and peer support networks to ensure journalists’ rapid access to legal assistance, bolster their defense and enhance their safety, taking into account the gendered nature of the threats they face;
• Output 3: Supporting investigative journalism that contributes to reduced impunity for crimes against journalists, and enhancing the safety of those conducting this line of work;
• Output 4: Enhancing structures for fostering strategic litigation in order to protect environments where the legal frameworks are conducive to an independent, free, and pluralistic media ecosystem.

The total indicative amount available for the co-financing of projects under this Call is estimated at USD $1,000,000, which will be distributed among the proposals with the highest evaluation score.

The 2021 Call for Partnerships is now closed.

About the Fund

All around the globe, journalists suffer countless attacks on their lives, their dignity and the integrity of their work. The ability of journalists to report the news and bring verified information to the public is being hampered by a wide range of attacks and violations, including threats, harassment, economic pressures, abusive judicial prosecutions (e.g. SLAPPs), arbitrary detentions, and a lack of access to specialized and gender-sensitive legal assistance.

The Global Media Defence Fund is a UNESCO Multi-Partner Trust Fund established within the framework of the Global Campaign for Media Freedom and under the overall umbrella of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, triggered by the initial donations of the United Kingdom and Canada.

Administered by UNESCO, the Fund is a responsive and effective mechanism to support not-for-profit organizations working on the ground at the local, regional, and international level in the undertaking or upscaling of projects that bolster journalists’ legal protection and/or enhance media freedom through investigative journalism or strategic litigation.

The Global Media Defence Fund operates through four key approaches or Outputs:

• Output 1: Fostering international legal cooperation, as well as the sharing and implementation of good practices to promote the defense of journalists under attack;
• Output 2: Reinforcing the operationalization of national protection mechanisms and peer support networks, to ensure journalists’ rapid access to legal assistance, bolster their defense and enhance their safety, taking into account the gendered nature of the threats they face;
• Output 3: Supporting investigative journalism that contributes to reduced impunity for crimes against journalists, and enhancing the safety of those conducting this line of work;
• Output 4: Enhancing structures for fostering strategic litigation in order to protect environments where the legal frameworks are conducive to an independent, free, and pluralistic media ecosystem.

The Global Media Defence Fund was made possible thanks to the initial major donations of the United Kingdom and Canada, with their respective pledges of £3 million over five years and CAD $2 million for the two first years of the Fund’s implementation. The Fund has also received generous contributions from the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, France, Germany, Japan, Latvia, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Slovakia, Serbia, and Switzerland.

The GMDF complements and synergizes with projects implemented under UNESCO’s regular program and other extra-budgetary modalities supporting the Organization’s work on safety of journalists and the issue of impunity – including UNESCO’s initiative to support the role of security forces and the judiciary in protecting and ensuring an environment conducive to freedom of expression, as well as the Multi-Donor Programme on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists and the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC).

Resources

Promotional Materials

• Brochure (Available in English)

• Flyer (Available in English)

• Global Media Defence Fund Interview Series: Stories of Media Defence Put Into Action

Other Relevant Resources

• Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists Online Courses: available here.