Working Group on UN Advocacy

Freedom of expression, media freedom, and access to information are fundamental to achieving the entirety of the Sustainable Development Goals: for fostering fair and just communities, pursuing meaningful and sustainable development and peace, and addressing shared interests in areas such as health, climate change, social justice, economic growth, gender equality, and youth empowerment.

GFMD and its members are thus actively engaging with the United Nations around the Summit of the Future and its outcome documents, including the Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact. These efforts focus on advocating that these processes acknowledge the centrality of access to information and fundamental freedoms such as freedom of expression and media freedom, including the safety of journalists, the vibrancy and viability of public interest media, and the resilience of a healthy, affordable, and autonomous information ecosystem.

What is the Summit of the Future?

The Summit of the Future, scheduled to take place in September 2024, is a high-level event that aims to accelerate the efforts of UN member states to meet existing international commitments, such as the Sustainable Development Goals, and take concrete steps to respond to emerging challenges and opportunities.

What is the Pact for the Future?

The Pact for the Future is the Summit’s key outcome document, akin to a blueprint for development, that will be negotiated and endorsed by countries in the lead-up to and during the Summit in September 2024. The Zero Draft of the Pact initially contained no reference to media, journalism, or access to information. Subsequent versions now include a commitment to protecting journalists and media professionals during armed conflict (Action 14) and to respecting the right to freedom of expression while addressing disinformation and misinformation (Action 18).

Given both the severity of challenges facing media and journalists around the world and the utmost importance of access to information in empowering people to address shared needs, GFMD has been advocating for the UN and Member States to further strengthen commitments on access to information, media freedom, and public-interest journalism throughout the Pact.

The Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) and the undersigned organisations urge the United Nations (UN) and its Member States to ensure robust commitments to access to information, media freedom, and public-interest journalism as they negotiate the final text of the Pact for the Future in advance of the Summit of the Future in September. Read the full statement here. Your support matters! Please sign the statement and join us in advocating for a future where media freedom is safeguarded, journalists are protected, and access to information is upheld as a fundamental right.

What is the Global Digital Compact?

The Global Digital Compact, which will be included as an annex to the Pact for the Future, seeks to promote an “inclusive, open, safe, and secure digital future”, addressing issues such as the digital divide, the digital economy, data governance, and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. The Global Digital Compact includes references to freedom of expression and a commitment to promoting “diverse and resilient information ecosystems, including by strengthening independent and public media, and supporting journalists and media workers”. This commitment could be further strengthened, however, including via the expressed acknowledgement of the media community as a key stakeholder as well as by explicit reference to the Global Principles for Information Integrity and its emphasis on the role of independent, free and pluralistic media (see GFMD’s post here).

What is GFMD doing?

Among a range of efforts, GFMD has been engaging with formal United Nations processes, networking with governmental and civil society allies, and issuing advocacy statements. This includes a statement on the Pact for the Future (initially issued in May and updated in July following the release of the second revision of the Pact), signed by more than 70 signatories around the world, and a statement on the Global Digital Compact (issued in June following the release of the first revision of the Compact). Other efforts include:

Written input submitted at the end of December 2023 in preparation for the Zero Draft of the Pact for the Future and additional feedback on the Zero Draft, submitted in February 2024.

Additional feedback on the Global Digital Compact and a second outcome document, the Declaration on Future Generations.

Attendance at various online and in-person consultation opportunities, including the UN Civil Society Conference in Nairobi, May 9-10.

Formation of an informal coalition to advocate for the inclusion of media freedom and related issues into the Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact.

Engagement with UN Member States via various fora, including the Media Freedom Coalition, the Team Europe Democracy Initiative, and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Creation of a UN Advocacy Group for GFMD members and other interested parties. To join, see https://gfmd.groups.io/g/UN or [e-mail].

Monitoring of updates on a daily basis, including tracking additional opportunities to engage via other UN processes as well as through civil society allies.

To stay updated on the latest information and engage in our coordination efforts, join our UN Policy and Advocacy group by visiting https://gfmd.groups.io/g/UN or [e-mail].