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SKeyes Center for Media and Cultural Freedom - Samir Kassir Foundation

SKF Joins GFMD's Address to Safeguard Freedom of Expression and Media Freedom

Thursday , 19 September 2024

The Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) and the undersigned organisations commend the United Nations (UN) and its Member States for the important progress made in the finalisation of both the Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact (GDC), which will be agreed upon at the Summit of the Future in September 2024.

We welcome the adoption of the Pact for the Future, including its attention to the Sustainable Development Goals as well as strong language on human rights. We particularly applaud the explicit reference to protecting civic space (Action 13); a commitment to the protection of journalists and media professionals during armed conflict (Action 14); and the inclusion of respecting the right to freedom of expression while addressing disinformation and misinformation (Action 18).


Inclusion of provisions that reaffirm the commitment to building peaceful, just, and inclusive societies, as well as the development of good governance and transparent and accountable institutions (Action 7 – aligning with SDG 16) is key for the role that journalists and public interest media play in holding power to account and ensuring public access to reliable information. 


Throughout the Pact for the Future, we appreciate the message that sustainable development and the realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms are interdependent and mutually reinforcing. 


Additionally, we are pleased with the Global Digital Compact’s commitment to promote diverse and resilient information ecosystems, including by strengthening independent and public media, and supporting journalists and media workers (paragraph 35(b)).


Given both the severity of challenges facing media and journalists around the world and the utmost importance of access to information and freedom of expression in empowering people to address shared needs, we call on the UN and Member States to not only uphold their commitments in the agreed texts but to also take further actions that align with key international human rights frameworks. This includes reinforcing commitments as outlined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; the General Comment on Article 19Freedoms of Opinion and Expression; the 1991 Windhoek Declaration; and the 2021 Windhoek+30 Declaration: Information as Public Good, and in fulfilment of Target 16.10 of the Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Global Principles for Information Integrity.

Recognising the critical role of access to information, freedom of expression, and media freedom, we call on the UN and Member States to strengthen their commitments by:

- Ensuring Consistent Implementation of Commitments, recognising that:
 access to information, freedom of expression, media freedom, the safety of journalists, public interest media, and a healthy information ecosystem are fundamental for achieving all SDGs. No crisis—whether health, climate, economic, political, or humanitarian—can be addressed without reliable information at its core.

- Ensuring Compliance with International Law:
 actions by Member States and stakeholders must strictly adhere to international human rights framework to avoid undermining the principles that the Pact for the Future and GDC seek to protect. Restrictions on freedom of expression, including internet shutdowns, must comply with international law, adhering to principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, and non-discrimination.

- Promoting Multistakeholder Governance:
 ensuring a genuinely inclusive, multistakeholder approach in the implementation and monitoring of commitments under both the Pact and Global Digital Compact. This must include explicit recognition of the media and journalism community, and those who support them, as key stakeholders in future internet governance discussions. As we approach the WSIS+20 Review, it is crucial to include diverse voices and perspectives to ensure comprehensive representation.

- Ensuring implementation of commitments, and compliance with international human rights law and standards with a multistakeholder approach will reinforce the role of public-interest journalism and resilient information ecosystems in overcoming crises, supporting sustainable development, and delivering a better future for all.


As UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted in his message for World Press Freedom Day: “Without press freedom, we won’t have any freedom. A free press is not a choice, but a necessity.” 

The Summit of the Future is a high-level event billed as a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity that seeks to reaffirm existing Member State commitments, including the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the 2030 Agenda, as well as address challenges such as extreme poverty, climate change, and new technologies. The Pact for the Future is the Summit’s primary outcome document, intending to boost the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals as the roadmap for overcoming crises and securing a better future for all. The Global Digital Compact (GDC), which seeks to advance an “inclusive, open, sustainable, safe, and secure digital future for all,” will be annexed to the Pact for the Future.

Signatories:

  1. 2402 Foundation – Ukraine
  2. Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) – Afghanistan
  3. Africa Freedom of Information Centre – Uganda
  4. African Youth Cafe – Kenya
  5. Agencia Mural de Jornalismo das Periferias – Brazil
  6. Al-Jumhuriya Collective – Syria
  7. ALVA – Albanian Values – Albania
  8. ARTICLE 19 – Mexico/United Kingdom
  9. Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) – United States
  10. Asociación Nacional de Periodistas del Perú – Peru
  11. Association for Media Development In South Sudan (AMDISS) – South Sudan
  12. Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) – Trinidad and Tobago
  13. Ayin Media – Kenya
  14. Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN – Bosnia and Herzegovina
  15. Bangladesh Center for Media Communications – BCMC – Bangladesh
  16. Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication – Bangladesh
  17. BBC Media Action – United Kingdom
  18. Beam Reports – Sudan
  19. Belarus in Focus Information Office – Poland
  20. Bytes for All – Pakistan
  21. Cambodian Center for Human Rights – Cambodia
  22. Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association – Cambodia
  23. Canal France International (CFI) – France
  24. Center for Independent Journalism – Hungary
  25. Center for Journalism Studies (CEPER) at Universidad de los Andes – Colombia
  26. Centre for Law and Democracy – Canada
  27. Centre for Media Freedom – Morocco
  28. Centro de Archivos y Acceso a la Información Pública – Uruguay
  29. Comité por la Libre Expresión – Honduras
  30. Committee to Protect Journalists – United States
  31. Commonwealth Journalists Association – United Kingdom
  32. Community Media Network – Jordan
  33. Dabanga – Radio TV Online – Netherlands
  34. Daily Nawa-I-AhmedPurSharqia – Pakistan
  35. Daily Rozan Gujrat – Pakistan
  36. Digihub Africa – South Africa
  37. Digital Media Foundation – Nepal
  38. Dizindaba Media (Pty) Ltd – South Africa
  39. Doc Society – United Kingdom
  40. DW Akademie – Germany
  41. El Surtidor – Paraguay
  42. European Journalism Centre – Netherlands
  43. ERISAT – Eritrean Satellite Television – United States
  44. Fiquem Sabendo – Brazil
  45. Fondation Hirondelle – Switzerland
  46. Forum on Information and Democracy – France
  47. Free Press Unlimited – Netherlands
  48. Freedom Forum – Nepal
  49. Freedom of Expression Institute – South Africa
  50. Freedom of Information Center of Armenia – Armenia
  51. Fundación Karisma – Colombia
  52. Fundación para el Periodismo – Bolivia
  53. Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa (FLIP) – Colombia
  54. Gambia Press Union (GPU) – Gambia
  55. Gender and Media Connect – Zimbabwe
  56. GIBS Media Leadership Think Tank – South Africa
  57. Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD)
  58. Global Media Registry – Germany
  59. Global Youth & News Media – France
  60. Globe International Center – Mongolia
  61. Group Siyabonga Gold – Benin
  62. Home News Agency – Kenya
  63. Human Rights Network for Journalists – Uganda
  64. IFEX – Canada
  65. Institute for Regional Media and Information – Ukraine
  66. Instituto de Prensa y Libertad de Expresión (IPLEX) – Costa Rica
  67. International Center for Journalists – United States
  68. International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM) – France
  69. International Media Support – Denmark
  70. International Press Centre – Nigeria
  71. International Press Institute – Austria
  72. Internews – United States / United Kingdom
  73. Lviv Media Forum – Ukraine
  74. Madania news – Sudan
  75. Maharat Foundation – Lebanon
  76. Media Action Nepal – Nepal
  77. Media Association of Puntland (MAP) – Puntland State of Somalia
  78. Media Development Investment Fund – United States
  79. Media Diversity Institute – United Kingdom / Serbia / Belgium
  80. Media for Democracy Foundation – United States
  81. Media Foundation for West Africa – Ghana
  82. Media Monitoring Africa – South Africa
  83. Media Rights Agenda – Nigeria
  84. Media Voice – Media and Communication Educational and Research Center – Georgia
  85. Mizzima Media – Myanmar
  86. Muwatin Media Network – United Kingdom
  87. National Campus / Community Radio Association of Canada (NCRA) – Canada
  88. National Union of Journalists of Ukraine – Ukraine
  89. New Narratives – United States
  90. Nukta Africa – Tanzania
  91. Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) – Palestine
  92. Panos Institute Southern Africa – Zambia
  93. Press Union of Liberia – Liberia
  94. Public Media Alliance (PMA) – United Kingdom
  95. Radio Espace Guinée – Guinea
  96. Raseef22 – Lebanon
  97. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) – France
  98. Roma Active Albania – Albania
  99. R3D: Red en Defensa de los Derechos Digitales – Mexico
  100. Rural Media Network Pakistan – Pakistan
  101. SAARC Journalist Forum – South Asia
  102. Samir Kassir Foundation – Lebanon
  103. SembraMedia – United States
  104. Sifter – Ethiopia
  105. Somali Media Women Association (SOMWA) – Somalia
  106. Somaliland Journalists Association (SOLJA) – Somaliland
  107. South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) – Austria
  108. South African National Editors’ Forum – South Africa
  109. Sudan Tribune – Sudan
  110. Sudanese Journalists Syndicate – Sudan/Egypt
  111. Sudanile – United States
  112. Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) – France
  113. Teeba Press Media Consultancy – Uganda
  114. VOCES Paraguay, Red de Medios Comunitarios y Alternativos – Paraguay
  115. Wattan Media Network – Palestine
  116. WELTFILME – Germany
  117. World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) – Canada / United Kingdom
  118. World Association of Community Broadcasters – AMARC International – France

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