Deadline: August 28, 2023
Proposals are invited for the Global Media Defence Fund 2023. UNESCO invites not-for-profit organizations to submit proposals aimed at strengthening legal protection for journalists and promoting media freedom through investigative journalism or strategic litigation.
The 4th Call for Partnerships of the Global Media Defence Fund (GMDF) will allocate over USD $1 million in financial grants to support the implementation or expansion of local, regional and international projects. These projects, aligned with international human rights standards, should contribute to enhancing media freedom and strengthening journalists’ legal protection by advancing at least one of the following GMDF Outputs:
- Output 2: Reinforcing the operationalization of national protection mechanisms and peer support networks to ensure journalists’ rapid access to legal assistance, bolster their defense and enhance their safety, taking into account the gendered nature of the threats against them;
- Output 3: Supporting investigative journalism that contributes to reduced impunity for crimes against journalists by holding the justice system accountable and by pursuing investigative work that risks being censored when journalists are attacked; imprisoned, or murdered; and to enhancing the safety of those conducting this line of work;
- Output 4: Enhancing structures for fostering strategic litigation in order to protect environments where the legal frameworks are conducive to an independent, free, and pluralistic media ecosystem.
Grant
- The financial grants awarded through this Call will range from a minimum USD $15,000 to a maximum $35,000.
Eligibility
- Open to specialized not-for-profit entities, including NGOs, media associations, journalists’ unions, human right defenders, lawyers’ associations and pro bono legal aid organizations, lawyers’ and investigative journalism networks, foundations, and academic institutions.
- Eligible organizations must have been active and registered for at least two years and meet the criteria established in the Call’s Terms of Reference.
Application
The deadline for the submission of the proposals is August 28, 2023 at 23:59 GMT+2.
Partnership proposals (including mandatory forms and supporting documents) must be submitted via email only to [email protected].
For more information, visit UNESCO.
