Media Freedom Coalition statement on anniversary of inaugural Global Conference for Media Freedom

The Media Freedom Coalition has issued a statement on the two year anniversary ofthe inaugural Global Conference for Media Freedom.

Two years ago, the United Kingdom and Canada hosted the first Global Conference forMedia Freedom in London, United Kingdom, to respond with a united front to ongoingchallenges faced by journalists and media workers throughout the world.
The event marked the beginning of the Media Freedom Coalition, a significantinternational effort by governments to protect and promote media freedom. The firstmembers of the coalition signed the Global Pledge on Media Freedom, a writtencommitment to promote media freedom domestically and work together internationally.
On the second anniversary of the Global Conference for Media Freedom, the undersignedmembers of the Media Freedom Coalition today reiterate their commitment to expandefforts to defend media freedom worldwide.
We acknowledge the impact of the pandemic on media freedom, in particular that thiscrisis 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 mediafreedom, including in the context of COVID-19, during the second Global Conference forMedia Freedom on November 16, 2020.
We condemn intimidation, harassment and violence against journalists. We commend thecrucial role played by journalists and media workers and pay tribute to those who havelost their lives in the exercise of their profession.
We welcome the contribution of the independent High-Level Panel of Legal Experts onMedia Freedom and appreciate its ongoing work to advise governments on preventingand reversing repression of media freedom. We recognize the work of the Global MediaDefence Fund, administered by UNESCO, in enhancing journalists’ legal protection andimproving media freedom through supporting investigative journalism and strategiclitigation.
Today, we recall and reaffirm the commitments we made in the Global Pledge on MediaFreedom: to increase coordination locally through our diplomatic missions around theworld, to defend media freedom and to increase support to and engagement withjournalists and independent media under threat.
Our countries are committed to working together to protect media freedom.

Signed: