Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists is a non-for-profit civil society organization, established in Jordan in 1998, operates in the Arab world, and was licensed in Geneva in 2018, and was registered as a branch of a foreign organization in Tunisia. The Center works to promote the freedom, professionalism and independence of the Arab media, defends freedom of expression, ensures the flow of information, and to consolidate human rights in the Arab world. The Center defends media professionals, and human rights defenders, monitors violations to which they are exposed, provides legal support and assistance to them, and moves to ensure accountability for all those who violate freedom of expression and media, and to prevent their impunity. The Center seeks to establish an incubating environment for freedom of expression and media by adopting supportive policies, and amending legislation to align with the constitution and international treaties and conventions.

CDFJ’s Vision:

Protected freedom and independent media in a democratic society

CDFJ’s Mission:

CDFJ is a non-for-profit civil society organization that seeks to promote and defend freedom of expression and media freedom in Jordan and the Arab world, by protecting the rights of journalists, developing their professionalism, ensuring their right to access information, and by developing policies, legislation and practices that incubate freedoms, preserving freedom of expression, defending the freedom and independence of civil work, and consolidating a human rights-based approach.

CDFJ’s Core Values:

• Respecting human rights: We are committed to human rights and strive to protect and consolidate them.
• Pluralism: We believe in pluralism and diversity, and we fight all forms of discrimination.
• Integrity: We rely on the principles of integrity, good governance, and ethical codes of conduct, and transparency governs our relationship with our partners.
• Leadership: We work in partnership with our allies, and we see that collective work based on human rights and democratic values is the way to achieve our goals.
• Accountability: The path to our goals is difficult, we struggle to achieve them, we subject our work to evaluation, accept community accountability, and disclose what we do.

Strategic Objectives:

1. Defending freedoms, providing support and protection to media outlets, journalists and human rights defenders, and ensuring their right to freedom of expression and free access to information.
2. Enhancing the professional capabilities of the media and journalists, and working to empower the media and civil society organizations to contribute to strengthening the human rights system and achieving sustainable development goals.
3. Advocating for the promotion and development of the legislative, political, practical, social and cultural environment that incubates freedom of expression, media freedom and civic space.
4. Employing the expertise of the Center to be a catalyst for change through networking and partnership with civil society organizations and active stakeholders, and supporting them in integrating the media in their programs and projects.