The 2024 PILnet Global Forum is behind us, and as we reflect on its success, we are most appreciative of the diversity of perspectives that enriched the discussions, the opportunity to engage meaningfully with the Thai legal and civic community, and the impactful collaborations that were showcased and formed.
More than 350 participants (half of them representing nonprofits) from 42 countries gathered in Bangkok November 12-14 to explore the high-value projects that can be delivered when civil society, law firms, and in-house counsel join forces.
One such example highlighted at the Forum was a global research project on national legislation regarding the protection of children from sexual exploitation. The research was undertaken in dozens of jurisdictions by Dentons and in-house counsel from PayPal, and with the guidance of expert staff from ECPAT International, an NGO working to end the sexual exploitation of children.
ECPAT representatives say having a multinational comparison of the relevant laws has boosted their advocacy work by helping them identify differences in, for example, the age of consent in different countries, and the extent to which gendered language can create barriers to full protection for boys. Moreover, collaborating with reputable companies and law firms bolsters credibility for NGOs, allowing them to leverage their work more effectively.
Jointly Developed Resources On Display
Several resources produced collaboratively with contributions from diverse actors were highlighted at the Forum this year, including a manual on strategic litigation and advocacy in the domain of artistic freedom from Avant-Garde Lawyers, an international legal organisation that protects the rights of artists. PILnet supported the creation of the manual by connecting the organization with lawyers who reviewed and updated their manual pro bono.
The manual was presented at a session on the “Art of Defending Artists,” during which participants heard from Shahidul Alam, a photojournalist and writer from Bangladesh who has experienced police threats and censorship of his exhibitions, and from Odee, an Icelandic conceptual artist who was sued by a fishing company after creating an art piece exposing corporate wrongdoing. The speakers shared strategies for using domestic courts, UN treaty bodies, and public pressure to protect artists’ rights. The conversation emphasized the power of art in mobilizing society and raising awareness of social issues, often more effectively than traditional human rights reports.
The UNHCR launched their new guide, Litigating the Right to a Nationality: A Guide for Practitioners, at the Forum. The Guide is a collaboration with the Open Society Justice Initiative and provides resources for lawyers and other practitioners to develop strategies to use litigation to achieve progress towards the realization of the right to a nationality for all.
During a session exploring the intersection between climate change and displacement, the Global Strategic Litigation Council, shared the beta version of the new Climate Law Database; a global climate mobility case law database developed in partnership with Earth Refuge, the Raoul Wallenberg Institute and the Zolberg Institute for Migration & Mobility. The database was developed with pro bono support from DLA Piper and Eversheds Sutherland and is a free-to-access global database collating and summarizing judicial decisions concerning all forms of internal and cross border climate-related (im)mobility. The fully operational database will launch early next year—follow the Council on LinkedIn and Instagram to stay up to date.
Forum participants discussed the importance of litigation in advocating for the rights of stateless people and invited future collaborations on several initiatives, including: Melbourne Law School’s global database of case law on statelessness, the GRF Legal Community Pledge, and the Global Alliance to End Statelessness.
Strengthening the Pro Bono Community
In addition to new initiatives shared and projects launched, at this year’s Global Forum we also continued to build on our strong support for national pro bono weeks/days, which are great occasions to strengthen the pro bono community in your country. In a session on how to organize your own pro bono week/day, we spotlighted the experience, tips, and insights on how to set up a pro bono week or day event from our colleagues from Asia, including Singapore, Laos, Hong Kong, Japan, and Syria.
Holding the Forum in Bangkok also afforded the opportunity to engage with the Thai legal community as well as local NGOs and law students. Participants learned about pro bono developments in Thailand during the Forum at a panel featuring representatives from the Thai Ministry of Justice, Lawyers Council of Thailand and the Thailand Institute of Justice. PILnet also collaborated with Kudun & Partners, Tilleke & Gibbins and TrustLaw to hold the Bangkok Pro Bono Roundtable ahead of the Forum organized as part of the Access to Justice Exchange. Several Thai NGOs were among Forum speakers and participants, and were represented at our NGO Marketplace, and more than 20 Thai law students and young legal professionals were able to attend the Forum as volunteers. English-Thai simultaneous interpreting was available for all Forum sessions. As a result of the Forum, we see renewed interest in the growing pro bono culture in Thailand and follow-up actions taken to advance the ideas that were discussed during the Forum.
We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all of our partners, supporters, and forum participants who helped make the 2024 Global Forum a success. Your ideas, insights, sharing, and contributions are what make our network thrive and drive its lasting impact. Thank you!
