KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 22

The Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) has elected Nepal's noted media rights advocate Laxman Datt Pant as its Deputy Chair, marking a significant milestone for Nepal's media sector on the global stage. The decision came during the GFMD Steering Committee's first meeting of the 2025–2029 term held on November 20 during the Global Investigative Journalism Conference (GIJC25) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Pant was elected to serve as Deputy Chair for the next four years. He will work closely with newly elected Chair Rawan Damen, Treasurer Caroline Vuillemin, and the Steering Committee to strengthen the global media community amid escalating threats to press freedom, journalist safety, and information integrity worldwide.

Earlier, Pant had been elected to the GFMD Steering Committee in July, becoming the first Nepali ever to serve in the governing body of the world's largest network of journalism support and media development organizations.

Immediately after his election to Deputy Chair, Pant chaired the Steering Committee's first official meeting. Addressing members from around the world, he said he would 'work alongside all diverse members reflecting grassroots and global engagement to strengthen the media community during these challenging times.' Newly elected Chair Damen joined the meeting online.

Pant, a globally recognized Nepali media rights advocate and communications scholar, brings more than two decades of experience in journalism, press freedom advocacy, research, policy engagement, and project management. He is the Founding Chair of Media Action Nepal (MAN), established in 2015 to advance independent and accountable media. Under his leadership, MAN has become an active member of key international coalitions, including the Media Freedom Coalition–Consultative Network (MFC-CN), the ACOS Alliance, and the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD). Pant previously served as elected Co-Chair of the MFC-CN (2022–2024), where he played a critical role in fostering cooperation among 51 member states, more than 150 civil society organizations, and global institutions working on media freedom.

Pant's election places Nepal and the broader Asia-Pacific region at the center of global conversations on press freedom, media pluralism, and journalist safety. His selection as Deputy Chair underscores growing recognition of his leadership during a period of mounting hardships for media workers globally.

The GFMD's new Executive Committee-Pant, Damen, and Vuillemin-will guide strategic efforts to strengthen solidarity, sustainability, and resilience within the global media development community over the next four years.