Making Good on our Pledge
How do we create more effective legal solutions for the hundreds of millions of people who have been forcibly displaced around the world?
This is the guiding question behind the Global Refugee Forum Legal Community Pledge—a collaborative initiative bringing together legal actors committed to improving access to quality legal assistance for people on the move.
Since 2020, Justice Centre Hong Kong has been proud to work alongside PILnet and other Core Group members of the Pledge to push this conversation forward. Through collective action and shared learning, the Pledge seeks to make legal help not only more available but also more impactful—tailored to the real and evolving needs of refugees and displaced communities.
The recently released 2020–2023 GRF Legal Community Pledge Impact Report, coordinated by PILnet, offers a snapshot of progress made so far. It’s filled with practical examples of how legal aid organisations, Refugee-Led Organisations (RLOs), and pro bono lawyers are working together to protect rights and expand access to justice.
Justice Centre’s contribution to this effort is shaped by our own experience here in Hong Kong. We’ve long known that legal solutions are most effective when built through partnership—between communities, practitioners, and systems. Whether through direct casework, training lawyers in trauma-informed practice, or building tools that make legal information more accessible, our focus remains on ensuring that those seeking protection are supported by quality legal help every step of the way.
In these critical times, we renew our commitment to the Pledge’s aims. For us, this means continuing to strengthen our partnerships, reflect critically on how we work, and stay accountable to the people we serve. We know legal assistance alone cannot fix displacement—but it can make the path to safety clearer, fairer, and more humane.
