In March 2021, IDC signed the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) Legal Community Pledge joining a diverse range of legal and refugee rights actors committed to strengthening access to legal assistance, rights and justice for asylum seekers, refugees, stateless persons and others forcibly displaced, including those subject to immigration detention.
Amongst the commitments made, private sector lawyers that joined the pledge committed to provide over 129,000 hours of legal assistance for free (‘pro bono’) each year to address the unmet legal needs of refugees and others forcibly displaced, as well as the organisations that work with them. PILnet – which supports implementation of the pledge – coordinates the matching of these pro bono hours with unmet legal needs. The IDC secretariat and some of the network’s NGO members have already benefited from free legal advice matched by PILnet to support their organisational legal needs and the legal needs of those they work with.
IDC is proud to be part of the #GRFLegalCommunityPledge and to contribute to efforts to protect and find solutions for refugees and other forcibly displaced persons. Please also read the new joint report on the Global Refugee Pledge which highlights progress made in 2020.
For IDC members interested in learning more about the types of legal assistance which can be provided please refer to the GRF Legal Community Pledge – Menu of Pro Bono Options.
The GRF Legal Community Pledge remains open for local legal aid, refugee rights or other actors to join. Please visit the GRF Legal Community Pledge website or contact the GRF Legal Community Pledge Coordinator, Jasmine Simperingham, at PILnet – [email protected] – to learn more about how you can be matched with free legal help or get involved in the pledge.