Legal Notice & Privacy Policy
The legal framework, inviolable protection of whistleblowers, paralegal code of ethics and security commitments of SOS IJM Asbl.
1. Identification & Official Legal Status
The organization SOS Information Juridique Multisectorielle (SOS IJM Asbl) is a non-profit association governed by Congolese law, working since 2007 for universal access to justice, the defence of human rights and the promotion of the rule of law in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Ministerial Approval: Registered under Ministerial Order No. 353/CAB/MIN/J&DH/2013 of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights of the DRC.
- Registered Office: Bukavu, Sud-Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Representation: Kinshasa (Silikin Village, Procoki Concession) and rural legal clinics (Kabare, Walungu, Kalehe, Uvira, Mwenga).
- International Status: Special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and observer status with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR).
- Executive Management: Justin BAHIRWE MUTABUNGA, attorney admitted to the Bar of the Sud-Kivu Court of Appeal.
2. Professional Secrecy & Legal Aid Ethics
All information entrusted to our lawyers, legal officers and paralegals in the course of consultations, mobile hearings, assistance to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) or community mediation is covered by absolute professional secrecy.
No part of a case file may be disclosed, assigned or passed on to a third party without the prior, free and informed consent of the person concerned or their legal representatives.
3. Data Protection & Zero Tracking of Whistleblowers
Protecting victims and witnesses in conflict zones is the ethical foundation of our digital platform:
No IP Address Tracking
The online reporting system applies a strict rule: no IP address is stored or linked to emergency reports submitted by citizens, in order to prevent any attempt at identification or technological reprisal.
High-Security AES-256 Encryption
Evidence, official records, photographs and statements are encrypted at rest using the standard AES-256 algorithm and are accessible only to accredited legal staff.
Audience measurement and consent
Only with your agreement, we use Google Analytics to count visits and improve the site. No measurement tool is loaded before you choose, nor on the reporting, case tracking and contact pages, nor in the administration area. This data is processed by Google and may be transferred outside the Democratic Republic of the Congo. You can refuse or withdraw your agreement at any time using the "Manage cookies" link at the bottom of the page.
This policy fully complies with Congolese Law No. 20/017 of 25 November 2020 on telecommunications and information and communication technologies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which guarantees respect for privacy, the right to anonymous reporting and the right to permanent erasure.
4. Emergency Line & 24/7 Hotline
In the event of arbitrary arrest, urgent violence or obstruction of a human rights defender, our telephone hotline can be reached at all times:
5. Digital Design & Engineering
This institutional portal, the online legal assistance architecture and the progressive web app (PWA) were designed and developed to the highest standards by the technology firm:
E-Business Afrika • Software engineering & secure digital transformation.
