Kathmandu: Nepali media rights advocate Laxman Datt Pant has been elected Deputy Chair of the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD), marking a notable achievement for Nepal’s media sector on the international stage. His election was announced during the GFMD Steering Committee’s first meeting of the 2025–2029 term, held on November 20 at the Global Investigative Journalism Conference (GIJC25) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, November 22.
Pant will serve a four-year term and work closely with newly elected Chair Rawan Damen, Treasurer Caroline Vuillemin, and the Steering Committee to address growing challenges facing the global media community, including rising threats to press freedom, journalist safety, and information integrity.
Pant, who became the first Nepali elected to the GFMD Steering Committee in July, chaired the body’s first official meeting immediately after his election as Deputy Chair. Addressing members, he pledged to collaborate with diverse stakeholders across regions to strengthen the media ecosystem “during these challenging times.” Chair Damen joined the meeting virtually.
A well-known figure in media rights and communications scholarship, Pant brings more than two decades of experience in journalism, press freedom advocacy, research, policy dialogue, and media development. He is the Founding Chair of Media Action Nepal (MAN), established in 2015 to promote independent and accountable media. Under his leadership, MAN has been active in major international coalitions, including the Media Freedom Coalition–Consultative Network (MFC-CN), the ACOS Alliance, and the GFMD. Pant also served as elected Co-Chair of the MFC-CN from 2022 to 2024, facilitating cooperation among 51 member states, over 150 civil society groups, and global institutions working on media freedom.
Pant’s election elevates Nepal—and the broader Asia-Pacific region—in global discussions on press freedom, media pluralism, and journalist safety. His selection as Deputy Chair reflects growing international recognition of his leadership at a time of increasing pressures on media worldwide.
The GFMD’s new Executive Committee—comprising Chair Damen, Deputy Chair Pant, and Treasurer Vuillemin—will steer efforts to strengthen solidarity, sustainability, and resilience within the global media development sector over the next four years.
