René Cassin Foundation

Name

René Cassin Foundation

Legal name

FONDATION RENÉ CASSIN – INSTITUT INTERNATIONAL DES DROITS DE L'HOMME

Website

https://iidh.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Rights Education and Training

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Educational Support Services (61171), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI), University-Affiliated Pathway & Foundation Programs (EDAIAJAA)

Keywords

• Human rights education
• Human rights training
• International humanitarian law
• Refugee law training
• Human rights research

Headquarters

HQ city

Strasbourg

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Training Registration Fees: Revenue from paid training sessions including summer courses, intensive programs, and specialized workshops offered both in-person and via videoconference.
2. Room and Office Rental: Rental of seminar rooms (€500/day, €300/half-day) and long-term office space (minimum 3-year contracts) in the foundation's historic Alsatian building in Strasbourg.
3. Donations and Sponsorships: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and corporations (66% tax reduction), with corporate sponsors providing essential support for foundation activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The René Cassin Foundation (Institut International des Droits de l'Homme) is a non-profit foundation that delivers human rights education and training. It offers intensive summer sessions, intensive training on refugee law (jointly with UNHCR), international sessions abroad, videoconference-based training, and a foundation diploma. It also supports research via thesis prizes, chairs of excellence, and publications, and operates an alumni network of legal professionals, civil servants, and academics.

Product overview

The René Cassin Foundation (Institut International des Droits de l'Homme) operates a comprehensive human rights education platform centered around its flagship Summer Sessions and Intensive Training on Refugee Law programs. The organization offers in-person training in Strasbourg, international sessions abroad, and videoconference-based remote learning. Supporting offerings include the Foundation Diploma (established 1971), the Jacques Ribs Prize for Human Rights, Chairs of Excellence research grants, room/office rental services, and educational programs through its Freedom School and competition initiatives. The portfolio is unified by the Foundation's mission to promote and defend human rights through teaching and research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Summer Sessions Intensive summer program offering international human rights law training with courses in French, English, and Spanish, attracting 150-200 international participants annually.
• Intensive Training on Refugee Law Annual intensive training on refugee law organized jointly with UNHCR Representation in France, offered in-person in Strasbourg or via videoconference.
• International Sessions Training sessions conducted at international locations including Libreville, Rabat, Maputo, Buenos Aires, and Brazzaville, covering democracy, human rights, and specific regional legal topics.
• Video Conference Sessions Remote training sessions delivered via videoconference covering international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and international criminal law topics.
• Foundation Diploma in International and Comparative Human Rights Law Prestigious diploma in International and Comparative Human Rights Law awarded after successful completion of written and oral examinations; 218 holders from 69 countries since 1971.
• Room and Office Rental Rental of seminar rooms (up to 40 people, €500/day or €300/half-day) and long-term office space (minimum 3-year contracts) in a historic Alsatian house near European institutions in Strasbourg.
• Jacques Ribs Prize for Human Rights Annual award recognizing outstanding personal or collective initiatives in human rights and refugee law, named after Jacques Ribs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60,000+ professionals trained since 1969
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and important.

• Denis Mukwege FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2025Partner for the 'Thinking of You' exhibition in The Hague (2024); Nobel Peace Prize laureate foundation collaborating on sexual violence awareness
• EM Gabon UniversitécoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the first training session in Libreville, Gabon (June 2026) focused on human rights before national and international protection institutions
• Council of EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey institutional partner; hosts foundation activities including exhibitions and collaborates on human rights programs
• European Court of Human RightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional partner for training and moot court competitions; grand final of René Cassin Competition held at the Court
• International Committee of the Red Cross (CICR/ICRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with foundation on summer sessions, specifically for international humanitarian law module
• UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint organizer of intensive refugee law training courses held annually in Strasbourg
• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner supporting foundation's educational activities and human rights promotion
• French Ministry of Europe and Foreign AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner providing funding for international training sessions and chairs of excellence program
• University of StrasbourgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner supporting René Cassin European Human Rights Competition and educational programs
• French Embassies (Cameroon, Mozambique, Senegal, Argentina, Côte d'Ivoire)importantChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSupport international training sessions organized in their respective countries by facilitating participant recruitment and local logistics
• French Embassy in CameroonimportantChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFacilitates training sessions and participant recruitment in Cameroon
• French Embassy in MozambiqueimportantChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFacilitates training sessions and participant recruitment in Mozambique
• Ordre des Avocats (Strasbourg Bar)importantStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatron supporting foundation activities
• CNCDH (Commission Nationale Consultative des Droits de l'Homme)importantStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational human rights commission partner

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Danish Institute for Human Rights: Denmark's National Human Rights Institution conducting research, education, and capacity building on human rights; comparable as an established institute combining training programs, international engagement, and national mandate with similar educational mission.
• Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights: Joint centre of the University of Geneva and the Graduate Institute delivering LLM, MAS, and short courses in international humanitarian law and human rights; directly comparable in curriculum focus on international human rights, humanitarian law, and refugee law training.
• Inter-American Institute of Human Rights: San José, Costa Rica-based institute offering human rights teaching, research, and diploma programs across the Americas; directly comparable as a regional human rights education foundation with similar mission, training catalog, and public utility orientation.
• Norwegian Centre for Human Rights: University of Oslo-based centre offering an LLM in International Human Rights Law and executing research and capacity-building projects; directly comparable as an academic-affiliated human rights teaching and research institution.
• Raoul Wallenberg Institute: Lund University (Sweden) institute delivering human rights capacity-building programs globally, especially in transitioning societies; directly comparable in mission, international training delivery model, and partnership with UN agencies.

Others

• Fidh (International Federation for Human Rights): Paris-headquartered federation of 192 human rights NGOs coordinating advocacy, litigation, and training; comparable as a Paris/Strasbourg-based human rights organization with training programs and overlapping civil society capacity-building mandate.
• Amnesty International: Global human rights advocacy organization with significant education, training, and outreach activities; comparable as a major human rights organization operating in Strasbourg with overlapping themes but primarily advocacy rather than education delivery.

Emerging players

• International Center for Transitional Justice: New York-based organization working on accountability and human rights in societies transitioning from conflict; comparable as a specialized human rights capacity-building and research organization overlapping on rule-of-law training content.

Broad incumbents

• European University Institute: Intergovernmental postgraduate university in Florence offering an LLM in Comparative, European, and International Law; comparable as a Europe-based academic institution providing advanced human rights and international law training, though with broader social science scope.
• College of Europe: Bruges/Natolin-based postgraduate institute specializing in European law, economics, and political studies; comparable as a European-based institution offering specialized legal training with overlapping human rights and EU law content.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IIDHStrasbourg
• Facebookfacebook.com/FondationReneCassin

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about René Cassin Foundation