Morrison & Foerster is proud to be a participant in a joint pledge, created by PILnet, the Global Network for Public Interest Law, and announced during the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, in which law firms, bar associations, and organizations around the globe have come together to pledge pro bono resources to protect and find solutions for refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons, and other forcibly displaced persons, in support of a coordinated response to the global refugee crisis.

The pledge was announced by PILnet Hong Kong Office Programs Manager Julia Mayerhofer at the opening of the Global Refugee Forum. The event, which was attended by over 100 companies and foundations and was co-hosted by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the Government of Switzerland, included welcoming remarks and participation from several prominent government officials and representatives from various organizations worldwide, including:

  • The High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi
  • The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres
  • The President of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado Quesada
  • The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan
  • The Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Demeke Mekonnen
  • The German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Heiko Maas
  • The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
  • The World Bank
  • The Inter-American Development Bank
  • Ingka Group
  • Vodafone Group
  • LEGO Foundation
  • Thani Bin Abdullah Bin Thani Al-Thani Humanitarian Fund
  • The International Olympic Committee
  • Aya Mohammed Abdullah of the Global Refugee Youth Advisory Council

PILnet's pledge was among several other pledges announced during the Forum to help combat the global refugee crisis. According to PILnet, the number of refugees has risen to more than 25 million people worldwide. To date, PILnet has mobilized 27 law firms, bar associations, and corporations to commit 125,230 pro bono hours in the face of this humanitarian crisis.

With this pledge, Morrison & Foerster continues its long-standing commitment to help refugees and asylum seekers around the globe.