Deadline: 15-Jun-21
UNESCO is launching a new Call for Partnerships to support not-for-profit organizations under the Global Media Defence Fund with the aim to join forces with specialized partners in the undertaking or upscaling of projects that bolster journalists’ legal protection and/or enhance media freedom.
UNESCO invites innovative proposals for the implementation of local, regional and international projects that, in line with international human rights standards.
The Global Media Defence Fund is a UNESCO 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, triggered by the initial donations of the United Kingdom and Canada.
Administered by UNESCO, the Fund is a responsive and effective mechanism that support not-for-profit organizations working on the ground at the local, regional, and international level in the undertaking or upscaling of projects that bolster journalists’ legal protection and/or enhance media freedom through investigative journalism or strategic litigation. The Fund’s implementation approach is based on the joint cooperation with specialized implementing partners, selected by UNESCO via annual or biannual Calls for Partnerships.
- The total indicative amount available for the co-financing of projects under this Call is estimated at USD $1,000,000. This amount will be distributed among the proposals with the highest evaluation score.
- Grants requested under this Call for Partnerships must fall between a minimum USD $15,000 and up to a maximum USD $35,000.
Outputs
It will contribute to enhancing media freedom and bolstering journalists’ legal protection by advancing at least one of the following Global Media Defence Fund (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 they face;
- Output 3: Supporting investigative journalism that contributes to reduced impunity for crimes against journalists, and 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.
Who is eligible to apply?
- UNESCO will consider partnership proposals from specialized not-for-profit entities who have been active and registered as such for at least two years.
- Relevant candidate partners include specialized NGOs, media associations, journalists’ unions, human right defenders, lawyers’ associations and pro bono legal aid organizations, rule of law initiatives, investigative journalism networks, foundations, and academic institutions, amongst other not-for-profit organizations.
For more information, visit https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-launches-second-call-partnerships-global-media-defence-fund