Australia's Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas is to bring the 20th Global Investigative Journalism Conference to Sydney next year.

The anniversary conference - from November 3-7, 2021 - will be the first to be held in the Asia Pacific region.

Co-hosted by the Global Investigative Journalism Network, the conference is the largest international gathering of investigative reporters, with more than 1000 journalists, editors, academics and experts in investigative tools expected. Last year's event in Hamburg (pictured) attracted 1750 people from 131 countries.

A focus will be JNI's efforts to support and increase journalism in, and on, Asia and explore ways to create greater engagement between Australian journalists and their counterparts across the region.

The conference has been held every two years starting with Copenhagen in 2001, Copenhagen (2003), Amsterdam (2005), Toronto (2007), Lillehammer (2008 and 2015), Geneva (2010), Kyiv (2011), Rio de Janeiro (2013) and Johannesburg (2017), and is widely credited with playing a key role in the rapid global expansion of investigative reporting over the past decade.

"By focusing on skills and training, the conferences have helped spread state-of-the-art investigative reporting, data journalism, and cross-border collaboration around the world," said an organiser. "Attendees have returned home to run ground-breaking projects into corruption and abuse of power, launch investigative teams and non-profit centres, and spread investigative reporting to where it is needed most."

GIJN was founded in 2003 as an association of 184 nonprofit organisations in 77 countries.

JNI executive director Mark Ryan says the 2021 conference would be an unparalleled opportunity for journalists from Australia and the Asia Pacific to learn techniques and skills from the best journalists in the world. "It will also showcase the work of journalists from Australia and the Asia Pacific and share their lessons and experiences with the global journalism community," he said.

JNI's bid to bring this conference to Australia was supported by BESydney, the New South Wales Government and Tourism Australia.

A schedule and dates of ticket sales will be announced in coming months. To keep up to date with announcements you can register your details here.