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IHRDA’s vision is to see a continent where all have access to justice, using national, African and international human rights law and mechanisms for the promotion and protection of their rights.

IHRDA bridges the gaps between African Human Rights and African citizens by increasing the effectiveness and accessibility of the human rights protection mechanisms of the African Union, since the most critical challenge to the effectiveness of the African human rights system is the lack of awareness concerning its procedures.

IHRDA has undertaken to promote respect for human rights on the continent by strengthening the human rights institutions in Africa, ensuring compliance with the existing norms and making the system widely accessible to victims of human rights violations and other actors of the civil society.

IHRDA firmly believes that African human rights law can be a powerful tool for advocacy and justice if the civil society has the necessary information and training to use treaties effectively.

Furthermore, through various programs, IHRDA uses its particular expertise in the application of African human rights law to:

  • Train the NGO community and other human rights activists and workers on how to investigate, prepare and present cases of human rights violations before the African human rights treaty bodies;
  • Serve as pro bono counsel for individuals and NGOs litigating their cases against State parties before the African human rights treaty bodies;
  • Research on emerging areas of human rights law and development in Africa for publication and dissemination;
  • Network and collaborate with other human rights NGOs and African human rights treaty bodies for the promotion and protection of human rights in Africa;
  • Advocate for legal reforms in the areas of human rights at the national and continental levels in Africa.