MIL Alliance announces the election of its first Global Board

The Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Alliance is a global collaborative network coordinated by UNESCO, bringing together over 300 organizations and 180 individual experts from over 100 countries. The Alliance is committed to advancing media and information literacy worldwide and through international cooperation, supports the exchange of knowledge and best practices that strengthen societies' resilience to disinformation, misinformation, and hate speech.

The election of the Alliance's first Global Board marks an important step in strengthening its governance and strategic direction. As its primary decision-making and coordination body, the Global Board will work in close collaboration with UNESCO's MIL Unit to provide strategic guidance, strengthen coordination across the network, and support the advancement of media and information literacy at global, regional, and national levels. The Board will also provide strategic input to support the continuous improvement of the Alliance's dedicated platform, launched in June 2025, ensuring it effectively responds to the needs of its users.

Following an open call for candidates and a voting process involving MIL Alliance members worldwide, the election results were finalized on 20 December 2025. The process reflects the Alliance's commitment to inclusive and representative governance. In total, 86 candidates stood for election across three categories.

The newly elected Global Board brings together representatives from across UNESCO's five geographic regions, as well as leading academic, research, and specialist experts in media and information literacy.

Geographical Representatives

• Africa: Ms Badal Fohmoh; Mr Blaise Pascal Andzongo

• Arab States: Ms Hania Bitar; Mr Mohammed El-Hawwary

• Asia and the Pacific: Ms Mradula Singh; Ms Misthy Sablok

• Europe and North America: Ms Irene Andriopoulou; Ms Lexie Kirkconnell-Kawana

• Latin America and the Caribbean: Ms Silvia Bacher; Ms Monica Palomino

Academic and Research Representatives

• Ms Sherri Hope Culver

• Ms Fernanda Bonacho

• Mr José Manuel Pérez Tornero

Specialist Representatives

• Mr Alexandre Sayad

• Ms Dun Concha Abiera

• Mr Yonti Friesem

• Ms Carolyn Wilson

• Ms Chloe Pete

In line with its mandate, the Global Board will contribute to setting strategic priorities for the Alliance, approving the establishment of new Alliance Chapters, contributing to international policy discussions alongside UNESCO, and overseeing annual reporting and coordination efforts across the network.