IFJ Marks 100th Anniversary as Zuliana Lainez of Peru Elected President

Around 300 delegates, journalists, and media professionals from across the world gathered this week in Paris for the centennial Congress marking the 100th anniversary of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

Zuliana Lainez Otero, journalist and president of Peru’s National Association of Journalists (ANP), was elected by delegates to lead the IFJ for the next three years. She becomes the first woman from Latin America and the Caribbean to head the world’s largest organization of journalists.

Nasser Abu Baker of Palestine was elected Senior Vice President, while Zied Dabbar of Tunisia and Jennifer Moreau of Canada were elected Vice Presidents.

“We are all journalists and trade union members here. We represent our colleagues and have the duty to secure better living and working conditions for them. We must fight against impunity in cases where our colleagues have been killed. We must uphold the fundamental principles of journalism. Journalism is the pursuit of truth,” President Lainez Otero said in her address to the Congress.

The mandate of the newly elected IFJ leadership will run from 2026 to 2029.

During the Congress, delegates adopted a number of motions addressing the grave situation faced by journalists in Gaza and Lebanon, the need for responsible use of artificial intelligence in the media, and the importance of ensuring that public broadcasters remain independent and free from political influence — including in Kosovo. Other discussions focused on the challenges journalists face in carrying out their work freely and safely in different parts of the world.

Delegates also approved a motion initiated by France, Spain, and Kosovo aimed at establishing a network to support exiled journalists currently based in Europe after fleeing conflict zones.

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AGK) was represented at the Congress by Board Chairperson Xhemajl Rexha and Executive Director Getoarbë Mulliqi. Kosovo holds three votes within the IFJ, based on the size of the organization and its membership.

Photos: Frédéric Moreau de Bellaing & SafeJournalists