The United Kingdom\u00a0has been announced as the new co-chair of the Media Freedom Coalition\u00a0(MFC), a global partnership of 51 countries working together to promote press freedom at home and abroad.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The United Kingdom\u00a0will officially take over the co-chair role on 1st\u00a0March 2026\u00a0and\u00a0will serve as co-chair for a two-year term alongside Finland, which became co-chair in July 2025.\u00a0\u00a0The UK succeeds Germany, which has been MFC co-chair since January 2024.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The UK, alongside Canada, co-founded the Coalition in 2019\u00a0and then served as inaugural co-chair\u00a0until\u00a0late\u00a02021.\u00a0Over four\u00a0years\u00a0later, the\u00a0UK returns as co-chair\u00a0with the Coalition having expanded its membership, range of activities, and impact.\u00a0Through the Media Freedom Coalition, member countries work together\u00a0in partnership\u00a0with\u00a0civil society and legal experts\u00a0to support\u00a0MFC\u00a0members and other countries to strengthen media freedom\u00a0globally and\u00a0in their\u00a0jurisdictions,\u00a0including through\u00a0reforming laws to better protect journalists and media workers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The UK would like to place on record\u00a0its thanks\u00a0to\u00a0Germany\u00a0as\u00a0joint\u00a0co-chairs\u00a0in\u00a0helping\u00a0the coalition step up its response to the multiple issues threatening global public interest media today.\u00a0While co-chair, the UK will work alongside Finland to guide an MFC that partners with members and interested countries, to strengthen approaches to media freedom.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To\u00a0do so,\u00a0it will\u00a0utilise\u00a0the coalition\u2019s collective\u00a0expertise\u00a0to help nations find ways to support\u00a0a viable\u00a0public interest media, navigate the opportunities and risks that stem from\u00a0new technology, and tackle the specific challenges facing women journalists.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The UK will also\u00a0seek\u00a0to raise the coalition\u2019s profile,\u00a0expand\u00a0and strengthen its work by including new voices, strengthen the sharing of\u00a0expertise, and support\u00a0timely, effective advocacy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0British Foreign\u00a0Secretary,\u00a0Yvette Cooper,\u00a0formally accepted the co-chairship\u00a0from\u00a0her\u00a0German\u00a0counterpart\u00a0Johann\u00a0Wadephul, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs,\u00a0at\u00a0the Munich Security Conference.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Elina Valtonen\u00a0was also present for the handover.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n