Our Work & Mandate
Documenting. Advocating. Holding power to account.
We pursue our mandate through sustained engagement with international accountability mechanisms, focusing on six key pillars:
iJA publishes legal analyses, press statements, advocacy submissions, and breach reports — grounded in evidence, open to scrutiny, built to last. Share any publication directly to social media.
Research & Documentation:
Systematic recording of human rights violations, democratic backsliding, restrictions on civic space, torture, enforced disappearances, electoral violence, corruption, and attacks on judicial independence.
International Advocacy:
Strategic engagement with UN mechanisms, Treaty Bodies, Special Rapporteurs, the African Commission, African Court, and ICC processes.
Legal Analysis:
Production of policy briefs, legal memoranda, shadow reports, and evidence dossiers prepared to the highest standards of international law.
Civic Education:
Creation of educational materials and public engagement initiatives on constitutional governance, human rights, and democratic institutions.
Sanctions & Accountability:
Monitoring and reporting on international sanctions compliance, asset tracing, grand corruption, and international accountability architecture.
Strategic Communications:
Factually grounded, institutionally credible publications that advance accountability, inform public debate, and support long-term institutional memory.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why is the Institute based in Germany instead of Uganda?
Operating from Germany provides iJA with essential institutional independence and operational security. With the severe restriction of civic space in Uganda—exemplified by legislation like the Protection of Sovereignty Act, 2026—human rights defenders face constant threats of censorship, criminalization, and state violence. Being based in exile allows our team to conduct rigorous, long-term documentation and international advocacy entirely free from political interference or the threat of domestic retaliation, while remaining deeply connected to the realities on the ground.
2. How does iJA actually hold perpetrators accountable?
We go beyond simply raising awareness by translating evidence into concrete international action. iJA meticulously documents human rights violations, democratic backsliding, and grand corruption, and turns this data into high-level legal analyses and evidence dossiers. We then submit these directly to international bodies with the power to act—such as UN Special Rapporteurs, the African Commission, the ICC, and international sanctions enforcement agencies (like the UK’s OFSI and OTSI). Our objective is to ensure that those who operate with impunity in Uganda face real legal, financial, and diplomatic consequences abroad.
3. Can victims, whistleblowers, or activists safely share information with iJA?
Yes. We understand the grave risks faced by those living under politically restrictive and authoritarian environments. iJA is deeply committed to the safety of our sources and employs rigorous operational security to protect the identities of victims, whistleblowers, and human rights defenders who share information with us. Because we operate entirely outside the jurisdiction and reach of the Ugandan state apparatus, information shared with us remains confidential, secure, and protected from domestic seizure.