Instituto Interamericano de Derechos Humanos Oficial

What Instituto Interamericano de Derechos Humanos Oficial does

The Instituto Interamericano de Derechos Humanos (IIDH) is a non-profit international academic institution founded in 1980 in San José, Costa Rica, dedicated to human rights education, research, and promotion across the Americas. It operates as an umbrella organization over three programmatic centers: the main IIDH academic program, the Centro de Asesoría y Promoción Electoral (CAPEL, est. 1983) for electoral advisory work, the Centro de Documentación (CEDOC, est. 1992) for jurisprudence and bibliographic documentation, and the Aula Virtual Interamericano (AVI, est. 2001) for online learning delivery. The institution maintains a formal convention with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and serves as permanent Secretariat for three continental electoral associations, anchoring its role within the Inter-American human rights system.

IIDH delivers recurring educational programs including the flagship annual Interdisciplinary Course on Human Rights (currently in its 43rd edition), specialized diplomas such as the Electoral Justice Diploma and the new Data Protection Diploma (covering AI, big data, and blockchain), and periodic international congresses such as the International Electoral Technology Congress. Supporting assets include the IIDH Journal and the CEDOC documentation center. Faculty and affiliates include senior human rights jurists such as Thomas Buergenthal.

The business model combines fee-based professional education with project-based international donor funding. Course fees are priced at US$225–US$275 per participant with cohort sizes capped at roughly 60–70 seats. The institution secures multi-year grants from USAID, Australian Aid, and UNFPA (the latter two relationships dating to 2002) to underwrite continental programming. The customer base comprises government officials, civil society organizations, academics, and electoral bodies across Latin America, with recent partnerships (Fondation René Cassin, 2025; ULACIT, 2026) extending academic and university channels into European and Latin American student networks.

Name

Instituto Interamericano de Derechos Humanos Oficial

Legal name

Instituto Interamericano de Derechos Humanos

Website

https://iidh.ed.cr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Instituto Interamericano de Derechos Humanos (IIDH) is a Costa Rica-based international nonprofit founded in 1980 that delivers human rights education, electoral advisory services, and academic research to government officials, civil society organizations, and academics across Latin America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Rights Education and Research

NAICS

International Affairs (92812), Educational Support Services (611710), Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights, Democracy & Rule of Law IGOs (BPADAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Democratic Governance & Public Administration Reform (BPADAGAJ), Higher Education Governance & Quality Policy Research (EDADADAI)

Keywords

• Human rights education
• Electoral technical assistance
• Interamerican judicial training
• Academic publication research
• Virtual learning platform

Headquarters

HQ city

San José

HQ country

Costa Rica

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Educational Programs and Course Fees: The IIDH generates revenue through course and diploma registration fees. Students pay tuition in two installments - 50% reservation fee and 50% balance payment before course start.
2. Publications Sales: Sale of printed and digital publications including books, magazines, and didactic materials on Inter-American Human Rights System, electoral political rights, ESC rights, and human rights education.
3. International Cooperation and Grants: Funding from international organizations such as USAID, Australian Aid, and UNFPA for specific projects and programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Inter-American Institute of Human Rights (IIDH) is an international, autonomous, academic institution dedicated to the teaching, research, and promotion of human rights across the Americas. It delivers interdisciplinary diplomas, master's programs, and specialized courses; operates the Aula Virtual Interamericana (AVI) online learning platform; runs the Centro de Asesoría y Promoción Electoral (CAPEL) providing electoral advisory services; maintains the CEDOC documentation center; and publishes academic journals such as the Revista IIDH and Cuadernos Interamericanos.

Product overview

The Instituto Interamericano de Derechos Humanos (IIDH) operates as a platform-based organization offering multiple interconnected products and services focused on human rights promotion, electoral advisory, and virtual education. Its core offerings include CAPEL (electoral advisory center), the Justice Access Platform, the Virtual Inter-American Classroom (AVI), and CEDOC documentation center. IIDH also publishes the IIDH Journal and maintains an extensive electoral jurisprudence database. The organization delivers educational programs including interdisciplinary human rights courses and data protection diploma programs, all accessible through its web-based platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Curso Interdisciplinario en Derechos Humanos (Interdisciplinary Course on Human Rights) Foundational training program offering interdisciplinary instruction in human rights for professionals, public officials, academics, and members of civil society across the Americas.
• Maestría Interdisciplinaria en Derechos Humanos (Interdisciplinary Master's Degree in Human Rights) Postgraduate academic degree program offered in affiliation with partner universities, designed for professionals seeking advanced expertise in human rights law, policy, and practice.
• Diplomado Interamericano en Protección de Datos Personales (Inter-American Diploma on Personal Data Protection) Specialized diploma program addressing personal data protection regulation and practice in the Inter-American region, targeted at legal professionals, regulators, and data protection officers.
• Centro de Asesoría y Promoción Electoral (CAPEL) Autonomous institute of IIDH providing technical assistance, advisory services, training, and electoral observation support to electoral bodies, political parties, and civil society organizations across Latin America.
• Congreso Internacional de Tecnología Electoral (International Congress on Electoral Technology) Recurring international congress convened to examine technology applications, innovations, and best practices in electoral processes across the Americas.
• Aula Virtual Interamericana (AVI) Proprietary online virtual learning platform developed by IIDH that delivers courses, diplomas, and continuing education programs remotely to participants across the Americas.
• Plataforma de Acceso a la Justicia (Access to Justice Platform) Digital platform developed by IIDH to facilitate access to justice resources, jurisprudence, and human rights information for legal practitioners, academics, and the public.
• Centro de Documentación (CEDOC) Specialized documentation center maintaining the institutional library and bibliographic collections on human rights, serving researchers, academics, and practitioners.
• Revista IIDH (IIDH Journal) Peer-reviewed academic journal published by IIDH featuring scholarly articles on human rights law, policy, and practice across the Americas.
• Cuadernos Interamericanos (Inter-American Notebooks) Publication series of monographs and thematic studies produced by IIDH on specific human rights topics, distributed to libraries, academics, and partner institutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60-70 professionals trained per interdisciplinary course edition
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fundación René Cassin - Instituto Internacional de Derechos HumanoscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 June 2025The IIDH participated in the Summer Session of the Fondation René Cassin - International Institute of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. Joseph Thompson, Executive Director of IIDH, delivered the introductory class on working in the international human rights sphere and spoke on the Inter-American Human Rights System. This represents ongoing collaboration in expert training and academic exchange.
• Tribunal Electoral de PanamácoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024The second International Electoral Technology Congress was organized by IIDH/CAPEL together with the Tribunal Electoral de Panamá in Panama City, September 2024. This unique event in the region addressed topics including electoral cybersecurity, biometric solutions, AI applications in electoral processes, and electronic voting.
• Corte Interamericana de Derechos HumanoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe IIDH was established through a convention between the Government of Costa Rica and the Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (Inter-American Court of Human Rights), forming the institutional foundation of the organization.
• ULACITminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIIDH and ULACIT (Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnología) have formed an alliance to strengthen education in human rights and democracy, as announced in 2026.
• Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) - Centro de Estudios de GénerominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerINTEC's Gender Studies Center, with support from IIDH/CAPEL, conducted a study on women's political participation in local governments in the Dominican Republic.
• Editorial Jurídica Venezolana InternacionalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Venezuelan International Legal Publisher shared the book 'Manual sobre preparación y presentación de peticiones individuales ante la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos' as a contribution to the dissemination of Inter-American human rights protection.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Carter Center: Runs long-standing election monitoring and democracy programs globally, including Latin America; broader scope but comparable election observation mandate to IIDH's CAPEL.
• Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR): Principal OAS body for human rights promotion and protection in the Americas; broader mandate and larger scale than IIDH, but operating in the same inter-American human rights ecosystem.

Emerging players

• International Service for Human Rights (ISHR): Supports human rights defenders and strengthens international human rights systems; overlapping mission in capacity building for civil society and public officials in international human rights mechanisms.

Direct peers

• International IDEA: Intergovernmental organization providing sustainable democracy support, including electoral assistance, comparable to IIDH's CAPEL center. Both serve public officials and electoral bodies across multiple regions.
• Due Process of Law Foundation (DPLF): Promotes the rule of law and democratic governance in Latin America through research and advocacy; directly comparable in its focus on Inter-American human rights system strengthening.
• Dejusticia: Colombia-based research and action organization working on social justice and human rights in Latin America; comparable regional research, litigation, and academic publication model.
• International Institute of Human Rights (Fondation René Cassin): Strasbourg-based institute offering annual Summer Sessions on international human rights; directly comparable as a human rights education institution. IIDH's Executive Director already lectures there, evidencing direct peer collaboration.
• Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights: Academic institution delivering advanced education and research in international human rights and humanitarian law; closely comparable academic training and research mission to IIDH.
• Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL): Regional NGO litigating and promoting human rights before Inter-American System organs; comparable regional human rights advocacy footprint with strong ties to the Inter-American Court and Commission.
• International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES): Provides professional electoral assistance and civic education worldwide; closely comparable to CAPEL's mandate for transparent elections and democratic values promotion.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IIDHoficial
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCEZF3ivsJTjrcEhyBJoEVPw
• Facebookfacebook.com/IIDHpaginaoficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/instituto-interamericano-de-derechos-humanos-oficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/iidhoficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Instituto Interamericano de Derechos Humanos Oficial