Global Refugee Forum Legal Community Pledge Matching Portal: Free Legal Help for Those Working with Forcibly Displaced People
On World Refugee Day 2021, PILnet and the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) Legal Community Core Group launch an innovative GRF Legal Community Pledge Matching Portal to facilitate free legal help and increased access to justice for refugees and other forcibly displaced people around the world.
Readily available access to legal assistance and fair and effective asylum and legal protection systems are essential to refugee response. Yet, far too often, refugees and others forcibly displaced are unable to access the legal support they need and the asylum and legal protection systems designed to protect them, simply do not.
To address these legal gaps, over 100 legal and community empowerment organizations, law firms, bar associations, and corporations have collectively pledged to support efforts to protect and find solutions for refugees, and others forcibly displaced, and to work collectively to increase the number of those displaced around the world who have equal access to justice. The “Mobilizing the Global Legal Community to Protect and Find Solutions for Refugees and Others Forcibly Displaced” Pledge made at the inaugural Global Refugee Forum (GRF) in December 2019 garnered a broad range of commitments from the global legal sector, including over 127,000 pro bono hours a year towards these efforts.
On this World Refugee Day, PILnet is pleased to launch the GRF Legal Community Pledge Matching Portal to further strengthen access to justice for refugees and others forcibly displaced. Jointly developed by Core Group members of the GRF Legal Community, and coordinated by PILnet, the Matching Portal aims to facilitate access to pro bono legal aid assistance in a fair and equitable manner.
Open to all organizations, associations, clinics and other entities working with forcibly displaced communities, the Matching Portal will facilitate the matching of refugee rights projects or individual matters, with the pro bono hours pledged by the global legal community.
To learn more about the matching portal and how you can request, receive or provide pro bono legal help, please visit the GRF Legal Community Pledge Matching Portal page.
To learn more about the GRF Legal Community Pledge and how you can get involved, see our work on Forced Displacement here.
