BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 30. Minna-Liina Lind, Undersecretary for Global Affairs at Estonia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, participated in the Information Integrity and Independent Media conference held on the sidelines of the Paris Peace Forum, Trend reports.
The event, co-hosted by the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM) and the Forum on Information and Democracy, focused on strengthening access to independent journalism and reliable information.
During the conference, Estonia formally joined the Council of IFPIM.
Undersecretary Lind stressed that international support for independent journalism is vital in an era of increasing pressure on media freedom.
“Disinformation, censorship, violence against journalists, and manipulation of information threaten fact-based reporting – even in democratic societies. Access to trustworthy information is the cornerstone of democracy, and we must all do our part to safeguard a diverse and open information space,” Lind said. “
Participants at the conference adopted a declaration reaffirming the global community’s commitment to protecting an independent and pluralistic media environment. The declaration aims to enhance cooperation between the public and private sectors and civil society to improve the reliability of public information and defend the operational freedom of independent media outlets.
Estonia’s membership in the IFPIM Council reflects its continued commitment to supporting free and independent journalism.
“Safeguarding a free and independent media space and protecting journalists remain central priorities in Estonia’s foreign policy. We have consistently championed freedom of expression as co-chair of the Media Freedom Coalition (2023–2025) and, this year, as chair of the Freedom Online Coalition. Promoting media freedom will also be one of Estonia’s priorities during our upcoming membership in the UN Human Rights Council,” Lind emphasized.
As a member of the IFPIM Council, Estonia will help guide the fund’s strategic direction over the next two years, with a focus on advancing key issues related to media freedom and information integrity.
Established in 2022, the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM) supports independent, public-interest journalism worldwide. Its mission is to ensure global access to reliable and fact-based information by helping fund ethical and independent media outlets. To date, IFPIM has provided assistance to more than 120 organizations in 31 countries, with nearly 19 countries and organizations contributing to the initiative. Estonia is among the fund’s donor countries.