GFCN and OANA Sign Memorandum on Fact-Checking Cooperation

On the sidelines of a media forum celebrating the 65th anniversary of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA), a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation was signed between OANA and the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN). The document formalizes a partnership aimed at establishing a global infrastructure of trust and developing unified standards to combat disinformation.

Signed by GFCN President Vladimir Tabak and OANA President Andrey Kondrashov, the agreement brings together international efforts to advance professional fact-checking as an institution and scale the deployment of new data verification technologies.

According to Vladimir Tabak, the signing marks a strategic shift from general agreements toward systematic, joint initiatives across the media community.

“A core mission and priority for GFCN is strengthening expertise within the journalistic community. This is vital, among other things, for helping media outlets reinforce their credibility with audiences when identifying misleading information. I am confident that together with our partners at OANA, we will make meaningful strides on this journey,” the GFCN president emphasized.

Tabak added that the network currently works with more than 130 experts across 55 countries, over 10 of whom represent Asia-Pacific nations. Systematic collaboration with OANA member agencies will build on this expertise, bringing unprecedented scale to joint efforts against fake news.

The signing ceremony followed a plenary session titled “OANA: 65 Years of Experience.” The session featured remarks from Dmitry Peskov, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office and Press Secretary to the Russian President; Maria Zakharova, Director of the Information and Press Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry; Andrey Kondrashov, Director General of TASS and President of OANA; as well as heads of leading international news agencies. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addressed the forum via video message.

During the session, Andrey Kondrashov underscored the vital role news agencies play in countering disinformation, noting that wire services possess the institutional authority and operational resources needed to swiftly expose falsehoods.

“We provide the foundation upon which the daily news agenda is built for millions of people worldwide. Why must news agencies tackle the issue of disinformation? Because we are the first line of defense on a vast information front. That makes us uniquely positioned to debunk any falsehood faster and more accurately than anyone else,” the OANA president stated.

Practical implementation of the memorandum begins tomorrow, September 22, at the “Dialog about Fakes 4.0” international forum during a dedicated GFCN–OANA panel. The parties plan to establish concrete operational frameworks, launch joint projects to produce verified content, and roll out specialized training programs for media professionals and general audiences across the Asia-Pacific region.

Fact Sheet:
OANA (Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies) is the region’s largest international media organization, established in 1961 at the initiative of UNESCO. It brings together more than 40 leading state and national news agencies from 33 countries across the Asia-Pacific, accounting for two-thirds of the global information flow. The Russian news agency TASS holds the OANA presidency for the 2025–2028 term.

The Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN) was established by TASS, the ANPO Dialog Regions, and the New Media School to coordinate international efforts in countering disinformation. The platform is open to a broad spectrum of participants, from major media holdings to independent journalists and bloggers.