Pro Bono Forum for Latin America

On September 27-30, 2016, Marval participated in the Pro Bono Forum for Latin America in the city of São Paulo. This event was attended by lawyers from the public and private sectors of more than fifteen countries of the American continent, NGOs, journalists, sociologists and students, among others.

The Forum presented general rules of governance and operation of the Pro Bono Network of the Americas, and discussions were held on existing projects in the different regions, sharing experiences and challenges.

Discussions were held in conferences and panels on different topics of interest to civil society, such as human rights, LGBT rights, refugee and migrant rights, pro bono lawyering; all from the perspective of promoting access to justice and the effective enjoyment of such rights.

The main point raised was that the most vulnerable sectors of society not only do not have access to justice but also do not even know their rights.  . It was concluded that pro bono lawyering is a fundamental tool to overcome these problems mentioned and to achieve access to justice, leveling the economic and social inequalities which affect Latin America.