The event marked the beginning of the Media Freedom
Coalition, a significant international effort by
governments to protect and promote media freedom. The
first members of the coalition signed the Global
Pledge on Media Freedom, a written commitment to
promote media freedom domestically and work together
internationally.
On the second anniversary of the Global Conference
for Media Freedom, the undersigned members of the
Media Freedom Coalition today reiterate their
commitment to expand efforts to defend media freedom
worldwide.
We acknowledge the impact of the pandemic on media
freedom, in particular that this crisis has been used
to put in place undue restrictions on free and
independent media.
Co-hosted by Canada and Botswana, we reaffirmed our
commitment to protecting media freedom, including in
the context of COVID-19, during the second Global
Conference for Media Freedom on November 16, 2020.
We condemn intimidation, harassment and violence
against journalists. We commend the crucial role
played by journalists and media workers and pay
tribute to those who have lost their lives in the
exercise of their profession.
We welcome the contribution of the independent
High-Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom
and appreciate its ongoing work to advise governments
on preventing and reversing repression of media
freedom. We recognize the work of the Global Media
Defence Fund, administered by UNESCO, in enhancing
journalists’ legal protection and improving media
freedom through supporting investigative journalism
and strategic litigation.
Today, we recall and reaffirm the commitments we made
in the Global Pledge on Media Freedom: to increase
coordination locally through our diplomatic missions
around the world, to defend media freedom and to
increase support to and engagement with journalists
and independent media under threat.
Our countries are committed to working together to
protect media freedom.
Signed: Afghanistan, Australia, Austria, Belize,
Botswana, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica,
Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Honduras,
Iceland, Italy, Japan, Kosovo, Latvia, Lebanon,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Montenegro, the
Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Portugal,
Republic of Korea, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Spain, Sudan, Switzerland, Ukraine, the
United Kingdom, Uruguay, the United States
