The International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX), founded in 1992, is a global network of more than 60 non-governmental organisations that promote and defend the right to freedom of expression.

Managed by Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (www.cjfe.org), IFEX acts as a Clearing House for exchanging information and monitoring issues such as press freedom, Internet censorship, criminal defamation laws , media concentration and attacks on journalists, writers and human rights defenders.

Members of IFEX include Human Rights Watch, Reporters Without Borders, Index on Censorship, Freedom House, the International Press Institute, the Committee to Protect Journalists and the World Association of Newspapers .

History

In 1992, several funding and development organizations recognized the need for more cooperation among freedom of expression groups by providing start-up support for IFEX. The Ford Foundation provided funding to hold the first IFEX meeting in Montreal, Canada. The Joyce Mertz-Gilmore Foundation of New York supported the establishment of the IFEX Action Alert Network. UNESCO provided support through its International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC), which helped to extend IFEX's links with the developing world and promote IFEX through its own network.

Action Alert Network

One of the central components of IFEX is the Action Alert Network (AAN). Member organizations report freedom of expression abuses in their geographic region or area of expertise to the Clearing House which, in turn, circulates this information to other members and interested organisations all over the world. This efficient system enables members to stay abreast of their counterparts' activities, share information and research, and focus their energies where it is most needed.

Importantly, the AAN also allows for a rapid, world-wide and coordinated response to press freedom and freedom of expression violations. Action Alerts help focus international attention on those responsible for human rights violations. This can make a significant difference, as those who violate human rights often rely on the cover of darkness.

IFEX Communiqué

IFEX also publishes the IFEX Communiqué (www.ifex.org), a weekly newsletter that reports on IFEX members' activities and on freedom of expression developments around the world. Distributed to thousands of subscribers in more than 150 countries, the IFEX Communiqué highlights free expression hotspots and issues including anti-terrorism laws, journalists' safety, women in the media, Internet censorship, media concentration and access to information.

Outreach and Development Programme

Another key area of the Clearing House's work is the Outreach and Development Programme. Based on a recognition of current North-South disparities, this programme is designed to support and strengthen fledgling freedom of expression organizations in the developing world, Eastern Europe and in the former Soviet Union.

The risks and obstacles faced by people who attempt to start up free expression groups in countries plagued by human rights abuses or censorship can be overwhelming, and IFEX offers vital transfusions of information, financial and technical resources, expertise, and international support and recognition.

IFEX Website

IFEX's trilingual (English, French, Spanish) website (www.ifex.org) contains the largest online archive of information on free expression violations, dating back to 1995.

External links

• Adil Soz (International Foundation for Protection of Freedom of Speech)
• ARTICLE 19
• Association of Independent Electronic Media
• Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
• Canadian Journalists for Free Expression
• Cartoonists Rights Network
• Center for Human Rights and Democratic Studies
• Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations
• Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility
• Center for Information on Guatemala (Centro de Reportes Informativos sobre Guatemala)
• Committee to Protect Journalists
• Council of Europe Media Division
• Egyptian Organization for Human Rights
• European Union - Human Rights
• Freedom House
• Freedom of Expression Institute
• Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa)
• Glasnost Defence Foundation
• Hong Kong Journalists Association
• Human Rights Watch
• Index on Censorship
• Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad)
• Inter American Press Association
• International Federation of Journalists
• International PEN
• International Press Institute
• International Publishers Association
• Journalist in Danger (Journaliste en danger)
• Media Foundation for West Africa
• Media Institute
• Media Institute for Southern Africa
• Media Rights Agenda
• Norwegian PEN
• OAS Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression
• OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
• PEN American Center
• PEN Canada
• PROBIDAD
• Reporters Without Borders
• Southeast Asian Press Alliance
• UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
• UNESCO - Division of Freedom of Expression
• World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC)
• World Association of Newspapers
• World Press Freedom Committee