UNESCO Pushes Legal Shields Against Journalist SLAPPs
UNESCO is stepping up efforts to strengthen legal safeguards against strategic lawsuits used to silence journalists.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Law
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UNESCO has stepped up efforts to strengthen legal safeguards against strategic lawsuits targeting journalists. Its global needs assessment found that 78% of legal professionals reported increased use of such suits over the past five years.
Why it matters
The assessment identified gaps in existing protections against SLAPPs and threats to freedom of expression faced by journalists. Its findings point to a shortfall in legal preparedness among lawyers, judges and prosecutors worldwide.
A UNESCO global needs assessment found 78% of legal professionals reported more SLAPPs used against journalists over five years, and 89% practiced in jurisdictions lacking anti-SLAPP laws. The assessment does not quantify the total number of cases filed.
The players
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized UN agency that promotes education, science, culture and freedom of expression worldwide.
Global Media Defence Fund
The fund provides legal support and resources to journalists and media organizations facing lawsuits intended to silence them.
The details
UNESCO conducted the assessment among legal professionals, informed by webinars and contributions from judicial actors and civil society groups. It is supporting anti-SLAPP reform and judicial training in Moldova and Ukraine, and the Global Media Defence Fund has directly benefited over 11,000 journalists, 1,600 lawyers and 300 media organizations since 2020.
Timeline
- 2020: The Global Media Defence Fund began operations.
- One year before the report: UNESCO launched its Global Initiative on Strategic Lawsuits against Freedom of Expression.
- 24 September: UNESCO sponsored a full-day conference on abusive lawsuits at the University of Oxford.
Legal Context
UNESCO's Global Initiative on Strategic Lawsuits against Freedom of Expression, launched one year before this report, is now entering its second year. The assessment gives that initiative its first measured baseline on how lawyers and judges view journalist-related SLAPPs.
Journalists facing a strategic lawsuit may find stronger legal defenses where anti-SLAPP laws exist, while those practicing without such laws remain exposed. Lawyers and judges who feel ill-equipped for these cases may be the first point of contact for a journalist seeking protection.
The takeaway
Strategic lawsuits can be used to drain a journalist's resources even when they lack merit. Awareness among legal professionals is one of the main gaps UNESCO is working to close.
What happens next
The Global Media Defence Fund will launch its second Thematic Call for Partnerships, focused on SLAPPs, as the Global Initiative enters its second year.
Further reading
For more on the legal framework behind these protections, see Law.
Source note: This article includes information reported by UNESCO.
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