Date : May 8, 2026 

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has urged the Government of Nepal to immediately withdraw the discriminatory decision made by the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers on April 1 (Chaitra 18), which states that government advertisements of all levels shall be provided only to state-controlled media.

This urge was made by the IFJ World Congress held in Paris, France. The World Congress of IFJ, Paris (4–7 May, 2026), passed the following proposal as a resolution, which was proposed by the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) and the International Federation of Journalists, Asia Pacific region. The proposal and resolution are informed as follows:

This congress expresses deep concern over the directive issued by the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers of Nepal on April 1, 2026 (Chaitra 18, 2082), under the pretext of cutting government expenses, to provide all levels of government advertisements only to state media. Embracing the strong opposition of the Federation of Nepali Journalists, this congress recognizes that this directive will adversely affect editorial independence, freedom of press and expression, the right to information, and the autonomy of overall journalism. While the state's advertisement allocation might financially strengthen government media, this congress expresses serious concern that it will maintain a monopoly on information flow and increase government control in the communication sector.

Recognizing the fact that advertising is the primary source of income for many media outlets, this decision of the government seems to have a direct negative impact on the economic sustainability of independent media, the livelihood of Nepali journalists, and the people's right to access affordable news and information. It recalls that the Federation of Nepali Journalists has mentioned this decision to be against the spirit and sentiment of the constitution, especially pluralism, federalism, equality, press freedom, and the right to information.

Additionally, recalling Nepal's commitment to the UNESCO Media Development Indicators (2008) through the Assessment of Media Development in Nepal (2011–13), it ensures the right of media to receive government advertisements in a fair, transparent, and independent manner, and clearly states that advertising should not be used to influence editorial content or to reward or punish media outlets. This congress expresses serious concern over the drafts of legal and constitutional reforms that could further stifle press freedom, discriminatory access to government resources, and the broad impact such steps could have on Nepal's democratic accountability and diversity in the communication sector.

This Centenary Congress resolves the following:

• To fully support the protest being carried out by the Federation of Nepali Journalists against the discriminatory decision in the allocation of state advertisements.

• To urge the Government of Nepal to immediately withdraw its policy and ensure equal access to public advertising for all media outlets.

• To call upon the government to protect the constitutional guarantee of press freedom, prevent the misuse of legal and regulatory powers, and not to make or amend laws in a way that undermines media independence or restricts freedom of expression.

• To demand that all state actions related to the communication sector must be guided by transparency, equality, non-discrimination, and respect for democratic norms.

The Federation was represented in the congress by President Nirmala Sharma.

Ram Prasad Dahal

General Secretary