01/02/2021
Anthony Inglese CB, Chairman of ILP, says today:
“The board of the International Lawyers Project is delighted to announce that our new Executive Director, appointed today, is Eva van der Merwe. Eva has been leading ILP's media freedom and anti-corruption programme for the last two years. For the last year, she has been a joint leader of the team and she now steps up to lead the whole ILP team. She brings a wealth of experience of the important work that ILP and its wonderful volunteers do in some of the world's poorest regions, where we support local actors using the law to resolve economic injustice issues, including corruption, tax reform, environment, media freedom and curbing illicit financial flows. Before coming to ILP, Eva worked for many years at the anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International in Georgia, Ukraine, Nigeria and London. She is also co-chair of the UK Anti-Corruption Coalition and one of the founding trustees of the charity Spotlight on Corruption.
“I and my board look forward to working with Eva, now as our ED, in what will be a challenging future but one full of opportunities for our expanding mission.”
Eva van der Merwe says:
“I am delighted to take on this role and to work with Anthony and the board as ILP's ED. ILP's mission is to connect communities, civil society, journalists and reformist government officials with pro bono legal expertise anywhere in the world, to bring about economic justice. In 2020, ILP saw an increase in demand for pro bono services due to economic crimes and injustices associated with Covid-19, managing close to 100 client matters over the year. I am proud to have been part of the work our team has achieved with our partners and I look forward to leading ILP's vital work into the future. We have high aspirations for 2021, as well as continuing to deliver our corruption, media freedom and public finance reform programmes. We will build on our volunteers' expertise by expanding to offer pro bono support on issues at the intersection of economic and environmental injustice. We look forward to working with our partners on urgent issues ranging from carbon credit markets, deforestation and pollution, to wildlife trafficking and climate change.”