Who We Are
Our Journey
The Global Humanitarian Disaster Consulting Institute (GHDCI), formerly the Centre de Recherche JURISCONSULTE (CRJ), is a leading research and capacity-building institution dedicated to advancing humanitarian governance, disaster resilience, and human rights across Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. GHDCI works to strengthen disaster-risk management systems, enhance preparedness, and promote lawful, inclusive, and coordinated responses to crises. Through research, legal advisory, and technical support, the Institute empowers communities, public institutions, and international partners to prevent, mitigate, respond to, and recover from disasters in ways that uphold dignity, accountability, and sustainable development.
Our Services
Humanitarian, Disaster, and Protection Law
GHDCI provides specialized legal and policy expertise at the intersection of humanitarian action, disaster governance, and human rights protection.
Our mission is to strengthen the legal foundations of crisis management, promote accountability, and safeguard the dignity and resilience of affected populations in both conflict and disaster contexts.
Our services include:
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Legal and Policy Analysis of international humanitarian law (IHL), human rights law (IHRL), refugee law, disaster law, and protection mandates, with emphasis on rights-based approaches to preparedness, response, and recovery.
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Advisory Support to governments, humanitarian actors, and local authorities on the legal responsibilities of state and non-state actors in armed conflict, displacement, and natural or technological disaster settings.
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Drafting and Harmonization of national disaster-risk management frameworks, protection laws, contingency plans, and resettlement instruments aligned with IHL, IHRL, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
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Legal and Technical Assistance for early-warning mechanisms, emergency coordination, and institutional accountability across humanitarian clusters.
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Capacity-Building and Training on humanitarian principles, environmental law, climate justice, and community resilience, including modules on Sphere Standards, Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), and ISO 22320:2018 emergency management guidelines.
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Protection and Legal Aid for women, children, persons with disabilities, and stateless populations affected by crises, displacement, or environmental degradation.
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Accountability and Localization initiatives promoting ethical conduct, anti-corruption compliance, and the inclusion of local actors in humanitarian decision-making.
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Comparative Legal Research on traditional justice systems and customary dispute-resolution mechanisms relevant to post-disaster recovery and reconciliation.
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Case-Building and Representation before domestic and international bodies for human rights and environmental violations arising from conflict or disaster mismanagement.
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Constitutional and Administrative Litigation challenging violations of humanitarian, environmental, or social rights.
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Advocacy and Coalition-Building for the harmonization and implementation of international norms, including cross-sector partnerships and multi-stakeholder dialogues.
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Public-Private Partnership Support, including the drafting and review of contracts, statutes, regulations, and operational agreements for disaster-response projects.
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Legal Compliance and Risk Mitigation Assessments for humanitarian organizations, investors, and public institutions operating in fragile or disaster-prone environments.
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Registration and Licensing Assistance for NGOs, social enterprises, and consulting entities involved in humanitarian or disaster-management operations.
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Community Outreach and Rights Awareness Campaigns to empower vulnerable populations with legal knowledge and access to justice during emergencies.
Institutional Capacity Building and Disaster Governance
GHDCI works with public authorities, humanitarian organizations, and private institutions to strengthen institutional systems, promote transparent governance, and enhance effective service delivery in disaster and crisis contexts.
Our support extends throughout the humanitarian and development project cycle, from assessment, preparedness, and response planning to monitoring, evaluation, and recovery, to ensure resilience and accountability in disaster management.
Our areas of intervention include:
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Institutional and organizational capacity assessments with tailored development roadmaps;
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Design of operational policies, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and ethical codes of conduct aligned with international disaster management standards (Sphere, CHS, ISO 22320);
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Establishment of internal accountability, risk management, and performance monitoring frameworks;
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Technical support for decentralization, local governance reform, and institutional resilience systems;
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Training of Trainers (ToT) and leadership programs for sustainable institutional capacity in emergency preparedness and response;
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Project design, logical frameworks, and theory of change integrating disaster-risk reduction (DRR) and climate adaptation components;
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Baseline studies, vulnerability and capacity assessments, and context analyses to inform strategic planning;
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Third-party monitoring, compliance audits, and independent program evaluations;
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Participatory feedback and learning mechanisms with affected communities; and
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Development of adaptive management tools and evidence-based decision-making systems for continuous improvement in crisis and post-crisis operations.
Sub-Contracting, Disaster Governance, and Policy Advisory
The Global Humanitarian Disaster Consulting Institute (GHDCI), formerly the Centre de Recherche JURISCONSULTE (CRJ), serves as a trusted implementation partner and policy advisor to international NGOs, government agencies, and development actors seeking localized and accountable execution support.
Rooted in the belief that human capital is the engine of resilience and sustainable development, GHDCI designs and delivers specialized programs that strengthen institutional capacity, promote humanitarian governance, and enhance community preparedness and recovery in disaster-prone and fragile contexts.
Our expertise encompasses:
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Implementation and Sub-Contracting of humanitarian, disaster-response, and recovery activities, including legal aid, social mobilization, risk assessment, and resilience planning;
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Policy Research and Advisory on disaster law, governance reform, access to justice, and protection systems;
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Legal and Institutional Audits to improve compliance, accountability, and operational effectiveness across humanitarian and disaster-management structures;
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Field-Level Context Analysis and Risk Mapping to inform program design, early warning, and crisis-response strategies;
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Technical Training and Capacity-Building in international humanitarian law, disaster law, human rights, governance, and ethics;
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Certification and Professional Development in protection, safeguarding, gender-based violence prevention, PSEAH, and legal documentation;
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In-Service Training for Civil Servants and Local Authorities to integrate risk reduction and humanitarian standards into public policy;
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Leadership and Organizational Development Workshops to strengthen coordination and decision-making in emergency and recovery phases;
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Coaching and Mentoring for Young Professionals and Interns, including Training-of-Trainers (ToT) programs for grassroots and community-based initiatives.
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By combining international best practices with local realities, GHDCI bridges the gap between law, policy, and operational humanitarian response, advancing governance innovation and disaster resilience across Africa and beyond.
Research, Disaster Governance, and Institutional Strengthening
GHDCI, formerly the Centre de Recherche JURISCONSULTE (CRJ), is grounded in rigorous, applied research that informs law, policy, and practice to strengthen institutions and guide evidence-based decision-making in humanitarian and disaster contexts.
Our work bridges science, governance, and law to enhance national and local capacities for prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.
Our research and institutional support include:
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Legal and policy research on International Humanitarian Law (IHL), Disaster Law, climate resilience, statelessness, gender justice, and humanitarian protection;
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Disaster-risk governance studies, focusing on national frameworks, early warning systems, and legal preparedness for emergencies;
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Needs assessments, baseline surveys, and impact evaluations to inform strategic humanitarian and disaster programming;
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Institutional capacity assessments and reform roadmaps to strengthen coordination, accountability, and compliance with humanitarian and disaster-management standards;
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Development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), contingency plans, codes of conduct, and operational manuals for public institutions, humanitarian clusters, and community organizations;
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Academic and policy partnerships with universities, think tanks, and UN agencies to promote interdisciplinary research and knowledge exchange;
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Hosting of policy dialogues, training forums, and international conferences to influence global and regional discourse on humanitarian law, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable governance.
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Through this integrated approach, GHDCI advances a vision of lawful, resilient, and rights-based disaster governance, ensuring that communities and institutions are better equipped to anticipate, withstand, and recover from crises.
Our Vision
A world where quality, accountability, and inclusion define every humanitarian, disaster, and development response, where communities are empowered, institutions are resilient, and every action upholds human dignity, justice, and sustainability in the face of crises.
A world where quality, accountability, and inclusion define every humanitarian, disaster, and development response, where communities are resilient and empowered to prevent, withstand, and recover from crises; where institutions govern with integrity and preparedness; and where every action upholds human dignity, justice, and sustainability through lawful, coordinated, and rights-based disaster management.
Get in Touch
Connect with Us
We welcome inquiries, partnerships, and collaboration opportunities. Whether you're seeking legal expertise, institutional support, or wish to learn more about our programs, our team is ready to assist you.
📍 Head Office
Global Humanitarian Disaster Consulting Institute (GHDCI)
Avenue Coteaux No. 5255
Quartier des Cliniques, Kinshasa-Gombe
Democratic Republic of the Congo
📧 Email
contact@ghdci.org