The United Kingdom has been announced as the new co-chair of the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC), a global partnership of 51 countries working together to promote press freedom at home and abroad.
The United Kingdom will officially take over the co-chair role on 1st March 2026 and will serve as co-chair for a two-year term alongside Finland, which became co-chair in July 2025. The UK succeeds Germany, which has been MFC co-chair since January 2024.
The UK, alongside Canada, co-founded the Coalition in 2019 and then served as inaugural co-chair until late 2021. Over four years later, the UK returns as co-chair with the Coalition having expanded its membership, range of activities, and impact. Through the Media Freedom Coalition, member countries work together in partnership with civil society and legal experts to support MFC members and other countries to strengthen media freedom globally and in their jurisdictions, including through reforming laws to better protect journalists and media workers.
The UK would like to place on record its thanks to Germany as joint co-chairs in helping the coalition step up its response to the multiple issues threatening global public interest media today. While co-chair, the UK will work alongside Finland to guide an MFC that partners with members and interested countries, to strengthen approaches to media freedom.
To do so, it will utilise the coalition’s collective expertise to help nations find ways to support a viable public interest media, navigate the opportunities and risks that stem from new technology, and tackle the specific challenges facing women journalists.
The UK will also seek to raise the coalition’s profile, expand and strengthen its work by including new voices, strengthen the sharing of expertise, and support timely, effective advocacy.
The British Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, formally accepted the co-chairship from her German counterpart Johann Wadephul, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, at the Munich Security Conference.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Elina Valtonen was also present for the handover.
Chris Elmore, FCDO Minister for Multilateral and Human Rights, said: “Journalists and the media are vital to our democracy. In an increasingly dangerous and turbulent world, holding power to account is more important than ever. Each day, journalists around the world are risking their lives in defence of these values and it is vital that we stand up to protect them. As co-chair of the Media Freedom Coalition, the UK with Finland, and its partners will continue to support and defend strong independent journalism around the world.”
Minister Wadephul said: “Our democratic societies are facing growing threats from disinformation. Media freedom stands as a vital line of defence against such challenges. A free, independent and pluralistic press is the bedrock of our democracies. Germany has been a steadfast advocate for free and independent media at home and abroad. We have therefore been proud to serve as co-chair of the Media Freedom Coalition for the last two years. I thank our partners in Estonia and Finland for their exemplary collaboration, and I am convinced that passing the baton to the United Kingdom, a co-founder of the Coalition and a champion of media freedom, will continue to advance our crucial work.”
Minister Valtonen said: “I wish to thank Germany for the extensive and dedicated work as a co-chair of the Media Freedom Coalition in last two years. I am also very much looking forward to work as a co-chair with United Kingdom, a country with vast experience in promoting media freedom. Safeguarding media freedom remains an urgent priority, and the MFC’s role in this work is crucial. Finland sees media freedom as an integral element of democracy, human rights, global security, and prosperity. There is no security without media freedom and safety of journalists.”
The Coalition’s 2024 annual report highlighted that the MFC has acted on 22 cases of journalists at risk during 2024, while embassies of MFC members had spoken out on a further 15 cases. The report also highlighted 123 actions by MFC member embassies around the world, such as visiting imprisoned journalists, providing funding, and organising events.
To deliver its mission , the Coalition works closely with a group of the world’s leading press freedom and media support organisations (the Consultative Network), a group of leading lawyers and judges from around the world (the High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom), and international organisations including UNESCO. The Coalition is supported by a dedicated staff team (the MFC Secretariat).
