UNESCO Call for Partnerships: Global Media Defence Fund

• Eligibility criteria:
  – Within the framework of this Call for Partnerships, UNESCO seeks joint action with implementation partners.
  – Implementation partners are entities with a not-for-profit status to which UNESCO entrusts partially or fully the implementation of programs or projects specified in a signed document (an Implementations Partners Agreement or IPA), along with the assumption of full responsibility and accountability for the effective use of resources and the delivery of outputs as set forth in such a document.
  – The partner receives funding through UNESCO to deliver the program or project but must provide its own “added value” in terms of a monetary or in-kind contribution.
• Type of funding: Programmatic
• Target countries: Worldwide
• Application language: English, French, Spanish

UNESCO is seeking applications for its Global Media Defence Fund to support the undertaking or upscaling of projects that bolster journalists’ legal protection and/or enhance media freedom by advancing.

The Global Media Defence Fund (GMDF) is a Multi-Partner Trust Fund established within the framework of the Global Campaign for Media Freedom and under the overall umbrella of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity (“UN Plan of Action”). It was established in 2019 with major initial contributions from the United Kingdom and Canada and as a result of the identification of a need on the ground for a mechanism to reinforce the legal defense of journalists in need of legal protection, ensure judicial follow-up and hold perpetrators accountable for crimes against journalists (and the widespread impunity for these crimes), and foster environment where legal frameworks are conducive to a plural, free and independent media ecosystem.

The 2022 Call for Partnerships of the Global Media Defence Fund will make nearly USD $1.4 million available in financial grants, ranging from a minimum USD $15,000 to a maximum of $35,000.

Over its first two years of implementation, the GMDF has been supporting nearly 80 projects around the globe. The geographical coverage of the activities supported by the GMDF extends to all regions of the world, including UNESCO Global Priority Africa – in addition to the Arab States region, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

See here to learn more and apply.

Access the Fundraising Guide for expert advice on how to improve your fundraising applications and to identify prospective donors.