MFC members initiated, and continue to support, the Global Media Defence Fund administered by UNESCO.
The fund supports not-for-profit organizations from all around the globe in the implementation of local, regional, and global projects that seek to bolster journalists’ legal protection and enhance media freedom through relevant investigative journalism and/or strategic litigation.
The GMDF is established as a 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.
Key numbers
As of April 2025:
- $5.3 million committed to 170 projects around the globe
- Projects have directly benefitted over 9000 journalists, 1600 lawyers and 300 media organisations
Over 1,600 cases of legal assistance and 250 journalistic investigations were conducted, and 200 strategic litigation instances undertaken
There is more information on the Global Media Defence Fund, including dates of recent or upcoming calls for partnerships, at the UNESCO website.
Contributing countries
| Australia |
| Austria |
| Canada |
| Cyprus |
| Czechia |
| Estonia |
| France |
| Germany |
| Italy |
| Ireland |
| Japan |
| Latvia |
| Lithuania |
| Luxembourg |
| the Netherlands |
| New Zealand |
| Serbia |
| Slovakia |
| Switzerland |
| United Kingdom |
