Steering Committee
The Steering Committee is elected every 4 years by GFMD's General Members and is responsible for major strategic and policy matters, GFMD memberships issues, and oversee the work of the Secretariat.
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The Steering Committee is elected every 4 years by GFMD's General Members and is responsible for major strategic and policy matters, GFMD memberships issues, and oversee the work of the Secretariat.
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Was this helpful?
The Steering Committee is the governing body of GFMD.
It provides strategic leadership and oversight, ensuring that the organisation's direction aligns with members' needs and the global media development landscape.
The shall manage and oversee the affairs of the GFMD, dealing with major strategic and policy matters facing GFMD and its membership between meetings, while the execution of strategy and policy, and administrative matters shall be the responsibility of the Executive Committee and.
— 6.1,
What does the Steering Committee do?
Deals with major strategic priorities, policy issues, and governance between General Assemblies.
Oversees the implementation of decisions made by the General Assembly.
Supports the GFMD Secretariat with the execution of strategy and key activities.
Guides GFMD’s overall direction, partnerships, and advocacy.
Elects GFMD’s Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, and Treasurer
Where is the Steering Committee defined?
How long is a term on the Steering Committee?
A term lasts four years.
Why is the Steering Committee important?
Represents the diversity of GFMD members.
Ensures transparency and accountability in decision-making.
Strengthens member engagement and helps tailor GFMD’s services to regional and thematic needs.
How can I learn more about current Steering Committee members?
What does being a Steering Committee member involve?
Attending virtual Steering Committee meetings every six months.
Participating in online consultations and ad-hoc calls.
Helping shape GFMD's strategy, policy positions, and regional initiatives.
Supporting GFMD with member engagement and peer learning
What is the time commitment?
On average, members need to dedicate approximately 2–3 hours per month.
How often does the Steering Committee meet?
There is one in-person half-day Steering Committee meeting a year. These take place alongside key sector events. In recent year,s this has included the International Journalism Festival, UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Day, IPI’s World Congress, and the Global Investigative Journalism Conference (GJC).
In addition, there are 1-2 online meetings.
Onboarding and working practices
Orientation and onboarding from the GFMD Secretariat.
Access to key organisational documents, work plans, and updates.
Collaboration opportunities with peers and GFMD leadership.
Is the position paid?
No. Steering Committee members are not remunerated.
Travel for one in-person meeting per year is generally self-funded, though partial support may be provided from the GFMD Membership Fund in exceptional cases.
How is the Steering Committee composed?
It consists of 17 seats divided as follows:
12 Seats – Regional Representation
2: Asia, Pacific, and Oceania
2: Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia
1: Europe (Western, Central, Northern, or Southern)
2: Latin America and the Caribbean
2: Middle East and North Africa
1: North America
2: Sub-Saharan Africa
2 Seats – Topical & Policy Members
For organisations focusing on and specialising in cross-cutting issues like press freedom, safety, ethics, diversity, law, media, policy or media viability across regions.
3 Seats – Global Members
For organisations with activities in at least three GFMD regions.
Who can be on the Steering Committee?
Any GFMD general member organisation in good standing (i.e. up-to-date on membership fees) can put forward a representative to stand as a candidate.
Can an organisation put forward a candidate if they were represented on the previous two Steering Committees?
No, if an organisation has been represented on the Steering Committee for two consecutive terms, whether by the same person or different people, it cannot put forward a representative for the upcoming election.
In 2025, this means that the following organisations are unable to put forward a candidate in 2025:
Association of Caribbean Media Workers
DW Akademie
FreePress Unlimited (FPU)
International Center for Journalists (ICFJ)
Pakistan Press Foundation
Samir Kassir Foundation
How can my organisation nominate a candidate?
Eligible organisations should submit the nomination form that the GFMD Secretariat sends to all CEOs, Directors.
The form requests the following information:
Candidates will be asked to provide the following:
Category of nomination: Indicate whether they are standing for a Regional (12 seats), Thematic/Policy (2 seats), or Global (3 seats) position.
Confirmation of independence: Confirm that they and their organisation meet GFMD’s membership requirement of independence, as defined in Article 4.2.2 of the GFMD Constitution.
Motivation and strategic vision (250–300 words): Explain why they wish to join the Steering Committee and what strategic direction they believe GFMD should take.
Short biography (250–300 words): Outline the candidate’s relevant experience and background.
Professional photo: Submit a high-resolution headshot to fnzingo@gfmd.info to accompany the candidate bio.
Membership fee status: Confirm whether their organisation has paid its GFMD membership fees for the current year.
In-person meeting attendance: Indicate whether they would be able to attend the in-person General Assembly and Steering Committee meeting, noting that participants are expected to cover their own travel expenses.
Can affiliate members join the Steering Committee?
No. Only general members can nominate candidates and vote in the election.
Who can vote?
All GFMD general members who are up to date on their membership fees are eligible to vote.
Votes are cast by the CEO or Director of the GFMD member unless they have delegated this responsibility to a colleague.
How can we vote?
The GFMD Secretariat will send the online voting form and details about the candidates to all CEO/Directors of GFMD general members with a deadline to cast their vote.
Can Affiliate members vote?
No. Only general members can nominate candidates and vote in the election.
What questions are asked in the Steering Committee candidacy form?
Can I get help to check my membership status?
The Steering Committee’s mandate is outlined in of the .
As per the GFMD constitution:
A term comes to an end when a new Steering Committee is elected at the four years after a was elected.
The term of office of members is limited to two consecutive terms.
You can find a full list of and Steering Committee members .
Sources: Section “” read together with “” as well as other elements of the Constitution such as and .
The information provided on the form will be
Yes. For questions related to nominations, eligibility, or the election process, contact GFMD’s Membership and Engagement Manager, Fiona Nzingo, at .