TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. Introduction

These Terms & Conditions (the “Terms”) govern your access to and use of the website www.hdevri.org (the “Website”), together with any related content, applications, events, publications and services made available by the Human Development Research Initiative (“HDRI”, “we”, “us” or “our”) (together, the “Services”).

HDRI is a youth-led, non-profit civil society organisation (association loi 1901) governed by the French Law of 1 July 1901 on associations, registered under SIREN number 103 531 935 and RNA number W751275674, with its registered seat at 50 Rue des Tournelles, 75003 Paris, France, and entered in the EU Transparency Register under number 892689452279-12.

By accessing or using the Website or any of the Services, you agree to be bound by these Terms and by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated herein by reference. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not access or use the Website or the Services.

Certain Services, such as membership, event registration, or applications to programmes and calls for participants, may be subject to additional specific terms, which will be presented to you at the relevant time and which prevail over these Terms in the event of any conflict, to the extent of that conflict.

2. Definitions

A. “Content” means any text, data, graphics, publications, research, images, logos or other material made available on the Website, whether produced by HDRI or by third parties.

B. “Member” means an individual who has been admitted as a member of HDRI in accordance with its Statutes and internal Rules of Procedure.

C. “User” means any natural or legal person who accesses or uses the Website or Services, whether or not they are a Member.

D. “User Content” means any material a User submits, uploads, or otherwise makes available through the Website, including applications, survey responses, comments, or event submissions.

E. “Event” means any conference, workshop, training, exchange, webinar, mobility activity, or similar activity organised, co-organised, or facilitated by HDRI.

3. Eligibility and Access to the Website

The Website is directed at individuals with an interest in HDRI's thematic pillars, Environment, Climate Change & Energy; Migration & Security; Global Health; Gender Equity; and Economic, Social & Cultural Rights, and in youth civic participation more broadly. There is no minimum age to browse the Website; however, certain Services (such as membership, mobility activities, or funded programmes) may carry eligibility criteria, including age brackets, residency, or nationality requirements set out in the applicable call or funding rules (for example, Erasmus+ or Council of Europe programme conditions), which will be stated at the point of application.

We reserve the right, at our discretion, to refuse, suspend, or terminate access to the Website or any Service to any User, in particular in the event of a breach of these Terms, fraudulent conduct, or conduct that we reasonably consider harmful to HDRI, its Members, staff, volunteers, partners, or other Users.

4. Permitted Use of the Website

Subject to your compliance with these Terms, HDRI grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to access and make personal, non-commercial use of the Website and its Content.

You agree to use the Website only for lawful purposes and in a manner consistent with HDRI's values of inclusivity, integrity and innovation. In particular, you must not:

Use the Website in any way that breaches applicable local, national or international law or regulation;
Use the Website to transmit, or procure the sending of, any unsolicited or unauthorised advertising or promotional material;
Attempt to gain unauthorised access to the Website, the server on which it is hosted, or any server, computer or database connected to it;
Introduce viruses, trojans, worms, logic bombs or other material that is malicious or technologically harmful;
Scrape, harvest, or otherwise systematically extract data or Content from the Website without our prior written consent;
Misrepresent your affiliation with HDRI, or use HDRI's name, logo or Content in a manner likely to mislead third parties;
Submit false, misleading or fraudulent information in any application, survey, or registration form.}

We may, without notice, restrict, suspend or terminate your access to all or part of the Website if we reasonably believe you have breached this section.

5. Membership and Volunteer Participation

Membership of HDRI is governed primarily by HDRI's Statutes and internal Rules of Procedure, as adopted and amended from time to time by HDRI's governing bodies. These Terms apply to Members' use of the Website in addition to, and not in substitution for, those governing documents.

Applications for membership, volunteer roles, or participation in working groups and programmes are reviewed at HDRI's discretion. Submission of an application does not guarantee admission, selection, or continued participation. HDRI may set annual membership contributions, where applicable, which are addressed further in our Refund Policy.

6. Intellectual Property Rights

Unless otherwise indicated, the Website and all Content, including but not limited to text, research publications, graphics, the HDRI name and logo, and the overall look and feel of the Website, are the property of HDRI or its licensors and are protected by French and international intellectual property laws.

You may view, download, and print extracts of the Website for your own personal, non-commercial use, provided that:

No Content is modified in any way
No graphics are used separately from accompanying text;
HDRI's copyright notice and this permission notice are reproduced in each copy;
Any HDRI publication reused for research, educational, or advocacy purposes is properly attributed to HDRI, including title, author (where indicated) and date.

Any other use of Content, including reproduction for commercial purposes, adaptation, or redistribution, requires HDRI's prior written consent. Requests may be sent to info@hdevri.org

By submitting User Content to HDRI (for example, through an application, a publication contribution, or an event submission), you grant HDRI a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to use, reproduce, adapt, publish and display that User Content for purposes connected with HDRI's activities, unless otherwise agreed in writing. You confirm that you own or have the necessary rights and consents to grant this licence and that the User Content does not infringe the rights of any third party.

7. Donations, Membership Fees and Event Charges

From time to time, HDRI may invite donations, charge membership contributions, or charge participation fees for certain Events, trainings or publications. Where payment facilities are made available on or through the Website, they will be processed via the payment provider(s) indicated at checkout.

All amounts are stated inclusive of any applicable taxes unless indicated otherwise. As a non-profit association, HDRI does not distribute profits; any surplus from fees or donations is applied exclusively to HDRI's statutory, non-profit purposes.

Cancellations, withdrawals and refunds relating to donations, membership fees, and Event or programme charges are governed by our Refund Policy, which forms part of these Terms.

8. Events, Trainings, Mobility Activities and Calls for Participants

HDRI regularly organises or takes part in Events, including conferences, youth exchanges, mobility activities, and advocacy academies, some of which may be supported by public funding programmes such as Erasmus+ or the Council of Europe. Participation in such Events is subject to the specific eligibility criteria, selection procedures, and conduct rules communicated for that Event, in addition to these Terms.

HDRI makes reasonable efforts to deliver Events as advertised but does not guarantee that any specific Event will take place, that a given application will be successful, or that funding will ultimately be secured or maintained. HDRI reserves the right to postpone, modify, relocate, or cancel an Event for reasons including insufficient registrations, force majeure, safety or public-health concerns, or withdrawal of third-party funding.

Participants in Events are expected to conduct themselves respectfully towards fellow participants, staff, volunteers, mentors, and hosts, and to comply with HDRI's Code of Conduct and safeguarding rules where applicable. Serious breaches may result in removal from an Event without refund, without prejudice to the exceptions set out in our Refund Policy.

9. Third-Party Links and Services

The Website may contain links to third-party websites, plug-ins and applications (for example, Google Workspace, WhatsApp, Zoom, social media platforms, or partner organisations' registration pages). These links are provided for your convenience and information only. HDRI does not control such third-party websites or services, does not endorse them, and accepts no responsibility for their content, availability, or data-handling practices. Your use of any third-party website is subject to that third party's own terms and privacy policy.

10. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Website and its Content are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, HDRI makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, as to the operation of the Website, or the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or reliability of any Content, including any research findings, policy analysis, or advocacy positions published by HDRI, which reflect HDRI's positions at the time of publication and may be updated or superseded.

HDRI does not warrant that the Website will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free, or that defects will be corrected, and does not warrant that the Website or the servers that make it available are free of viruses or other harmful components.

11. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable French and EU law, HDRI, its Board, staff, volunteers and Members shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits, data, goodwill, or opportunity, arising out of or in connection with your access to or use of, or inability to access or use, the Website or Services, whether based on contract, tort (including negligence), or otherwise, even if HDRI has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits HDRI's liability for death or personal injury caused by its negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law.

Where HDRI facilitates or refers Users to activities operated by third parties (including partner organisations, funding bodies, or Erasmus+ National Agencies), HDRI's liability is limited to its own acts and omissions and does not extend to the acts, omissions, products, or services of those third parties.

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless HDRI, its Board members, staff, and volunteers from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses, including reasonable legal fees, arising out of or in any way connected with your breach of these Terms, your misuse of the Website or Services, or your violation of any applicable law or the rights of a third party.

13. Privacy and Data Protection

Our collection and use of personal data in connection with the Website and Services is described in our Privacy Policy, available on the Website, which explains our practices under the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and applicable French data protection law. By using the Website, you acknowledge that you have read and understood the Privacy Policy.

14. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms, and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them or their subject matter (including non-contractual disputes or claims), shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of France, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles.

Subject to any mandatory consumer-protection rules that entitle you to bring proceedings in the courts of your place of residence within the European Union, the courts of Paris, France shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms.

15. Complaints and Dispute Resolution

If you have a complaint regarding the Website or Services, please contact us first at info@hdevri.org so that we may attempt to resolve the matter informally and in good faith.

If you are a consumer resident in the European Union and a dispute cannot be resolved directly, you may also have access to the European Commission's Online Dispute Resolution platform at https://consumer-redress.ec.europa.eu/index_en, or to consumer mediation services available in France, without prejudice to your right to bring proceedings before the competent courts.

16. Changes to these Terms

We may revise these Terms from time to time to reflect changes in our Services, our legal or regulatory obligations, or good governance practice. The updated Terms will be posted on the Website with a revised effective date. Your continued use of the Website after the updated Terms take effect constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. Where changes are material, we will use reasonable efforts to bring them to your attention.

17. Severability and Entire Agreement

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and Refund Policy, and any additional terms applicable to specific Services, constitute the entire agreement between you and HDRI relating to your use of the Website and supersede any prior agreements or understandings, whether written or oral, relating to that subject matter.