IFJ Marks 100 Years: International Journalists' Centenary Congress Convenes in Paris

World's Largest Journalists' Federation Elects First Latin American President as It Charts Course for the Next Century
Paris, May 4–7, 2026

One hundred years after its founding in the French capital, the world's largest organization of journalists returned to Paris this week for a landmark gathering one that mixed celebration with an urgent reckoning over the future of the profession.

The 32nd World Congress of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) opened on May 4 in Paris, marking the centenary of the Federation's founding in the French capital. More than 300 delegates representing journalists' unions and associations from across the world gathered for this milestone event. (International Federation of Journalists)

The Congress was held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris from May 4 to 7, 2026 (International Federation of Journalists) a setting rich in historical resonance. When the IFJ was founded in 1926, its first headquarters was established in Paris, in the premises of the international organization that would become UNESCO in 1945. (International Federation of Journalists)

A Return to the Birthplace
The Congress was held under the banner of "100 Years of International Solidarity for Strong Journalism and Trade Unionism," commencing in step with World Press Freedom Day as an important reminder of the importance of a free, independent media in upholding democracy. (News Pakistan)

IFJ President Dominique Pradalié explained why Paris was the fitting venue: "We have returned to Paris, the birthplace of the IFJ, marking a century of solidarity and trade union struggles for press freedom, quality journalism, and fair working conditions for all our members. This congress promises to be a powerful gathering, and we hope our delegates leave inspired with renewed strength, hope, and unity." (News Pakistan)
The milestone event began on May 4 with a high-level session at the Théâtre de la Concorde, where leading lawyers, journalists and experts discussed the role of international law and artificial intelligence in journalism. (International Federation of Journalists)

The official opening was then followed by a welcome from Emmanuel Grégoire, the Mayor of Paris, at the town hall, where the IFJ had set up an exhibition reviewing a century of its history. (International Federation of Journalists)

Ghana at the Congress
Ghana's voice was present among the more than 300 delegates who converged on Paris. The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) President, Albert Dwumfour, led a delegation to Paris to participate in the IFJ Centenary Congress. (Ghana Eye Report)

The GJA's participation came on the back of a significant milestone for Ghanaian media. Ghana moved from 52nd to 39th position globally and ranked 4th in Africa in the latest World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders a jump the GJA described as a reflection of improvements across all key indicators assessed during the period. (Graphic Online)

GJA President Albert Dwumfour affirmed: "We will continue to speak truth to power, challenge injustices and hold duty-bearers accountable without fear or favor." (Graphic Online)

The GJA also used the occasion to call for domestic legislative reforms. The association stressed the pressing need to review and repeal provisions within laws such as the Electronic Communications Act, 2008, that were frequently weaponized to intimidate and silence journalists, arguing that such reforms would create a more enabling and secure environment for media practice and strengthen public trust. (Graphic Online)

The Congress served as a key platform for the GJA to help shape the IFJ's direction for 2026–2029, with delegates discussing and adopting the federation's new working programme and addressing core issues including artificial intelligence, safety, youth engagement in the profession, gender equality and surveillance. (Ghana Eye Report)

A Historic Election: Latin America Takes the Helm
The Congress's most significant outcome was the election of a new IFJ leadership to guide the Federation through its second century.

On May 6, Zuliana Lainez Otero, a Peruvian journalist and president of the Asociación Nacional de Periodistas del Perú (ANP), was elected president of the IFJ. She is the first woman from Latin America and the Caribbean to lead the world's largest organization of journalists. (International Federation of Journalists)

Lainez Otero is also vice president of the Federation of Journalists of Latin America and the Caribbean (FePALC) and a former senior vice president of the IFJ. After serving on the IFJ's Executive Committee for 16 years, she succeeded Dominique Pradalié of France, who had led the Federation for the previous four years. She is the third woman president of the IFJ in its 100-year history, after Pradalié (2022–2026) and Belgian journalist Mia Doornaert (1986–1990). (International Federation of Journalists)

Also elected were Jennifer Moreau from Canada and Zied Dabbar from Tunisia as Vice-Presidents, and Nasser Abu Bakr from Palestine as Senior Vice-President. (Nuns)
The new president wasted no time in setting the tone of her tenure. Lainez said: "We are in a challenging period for journalism around the world. In recent years, we have seen a staggering number of journalists killed in Palestine, Ukraine, Lebanon, Sudan and Latin America, which is unprecedented in history. The levels of impunity for these crimes are also unprecedented. As a global organization, it is our duty to ensure that these crimes are prosecuted in international courts. It is historic that Latin America should be at the helm of a world federation on the centenary of its foundation. This moment has taken a hundred years of the organization’s history to arrive, and now it is our continent's turn." (International Federation of Journalists)

The Burning Issues on the Table
The Congress agenda included essential discussions on international law and press freedom, surveillance and artificial intelligence and their impact on journalistic work, climate change coverage, the lack of job stability in the profession, strengthening of authors' rights, and gender equality in journalism all anchored in the IFJ's core values of solidarity, trade unionism and press freedom. (International Federation of Journalists)

On the threat of artificial intelligence, the IFJ raised concern over the rise of AI, which it said poses a threat to democracies through large-scale disinformation, identity theft, and the replacement of journalists by automated tools with no regard for ethical standards, and the use of journalists' work by platforms without agreement or remuneration. (International Federation of Journalists)

On surveillance, the IFJ highlighted systematic and unprecedented surveillance carried out against journalists, where classic phishing emails and fake websites now coexist with state-level spyware, compromising journalists' security and the protection of their sources with no meaningful legislative or regulatory oversight. (International Federation of Journalists)

The Congress also addressed conflicts around the world. The IFJ specifically condemned armed conflicts in which being identified as "press" has become a reason to be targeted rather than protected noting that in Ukraine, Palestine, Lebanon and Sudan, reporters are being arrested, forced into exile or killed because of their work. (International Federation of Journalists)

On World Press Freedom Day, UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a stark message: "Eighty-five percent of the crimes committed against journalists go uninvestigated and unpunished: an unacceptable level of impunity." (News Pakistan)

Outgoing President Reflects on Four Years
Outgoing IFJ President Dominique Pradalié used her final address to take stock of the battles fought during her tenure. She pointed to a victory achieved in Mauritania, where 1,860 journalists had their employment contracts regularized thanks to several years of work by the Federation in collaboration with its affiliate. (International Federation of Journalists)

IFJ Secretary General Anthony Bellanger declared: "This Centenary Congress is a decisive moment for the profession on a global scale. It must set the direction for the future of journalism. We call on all our affiliates to engage fully, in order to make it a success worthy of our history and the challenges of our time." (International Federation of Journalists)

Resolutions and the Road Ahead
The Congress adopted several key resolutions during its four days. Among them, a resolution submitted by the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia was adopted, strongly condemning growing attacks, threats and smear campaigns against journalists and media outlets in Serbia, as well as the increasing passivity of state institutions contributing to a climate of fear and impunity.

The resolution called upon the EU, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the United Nations and other international partners to use all available mechanisms to insist that Serbia fulfil its obligations in the areas of media freedom, journalists' safety, labour rights and media pluralism. (Nuns)

Congress decided the Federation's strategic direction for 2026 to 2029, for its 188 affiliated journalist unions speaking on behalf of 600,000 members. (News Pakistan)

As the four-day Congress drew to a close in the city where it all began a century ago, the IFJ's message was clear and Ghana's delegation returned home carrying it: journalism remains indispensable to democracy, truth and human rights, and the fight to protect it is far from over.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) represents more than 600,000 journalists in 146 countries. The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) is an IFJ affiliate. For more information, visit ifj.org.

Mustapha Bature Sallama.
Medical/ Science Communicator,
Private Investigator, Criminal investigation and Intelligence Analysis.
International Conflict Management and Peace Building.USIP
mustysallama@gmail.com
+233-555-275-880

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