1. Introduction

Welcome to Elect Peace ("the Platform").

These Terms of Use ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Platform, developed by FIAP to promote collaboration, visibility, and resource sharing among Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working on peacebuilding and governance across West Africa.

By accessing or using the Platform, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms.

If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the Platform.

2. Definitions

• Platform: Elect Peace, a regional online database and collaboration hub for CSOs.
• User: Any individual or organisation registered to use the Platform.
• CSO Representative: An authorised representative of a registered civil society organisation.
• Administrator: A person authorised to manage and maintain Platform operations, moderation, and updates.
• Data: Any personal or organisational information submitted, uploaded, or collected through the Platform.
• Services: The functionalities and features provided, including profiles, search, forums, stories, and resource sharing.

3. Eligibility and Registration

• Users must provide accurate, truthful, and up-to-date information during registration.
• Only verified CSOs or their authorised representatives may create organisational profiles.
• The Platform reserves the right to verify, edit, or reject any submitted information before publication.
• Users are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their login credentials and all activities under their accounts.
• Users must comply with applicable laws, regulations, and community standards while using the Platform.

4. User Responsibilities and Conduct

Users agree to:

• Use the Platform solely for lawful, professional, and peacebuilding-related purposes.
• Avoid uploading or distributing content that is defamatory, discriminatory, obscene, fraudulent, or violates privacy or intellectual property rights.
• Refrain from disrupting or attempting to gain unauthorised access to any part of the Platform, servers, or networks.
• Ensure that uploaded content (stories, posts, documents) is accurate, respectful, and relevant to the Platform's objectives.

Administrators may remove content that violates these Terms or community guidelines.

5. Data Privacy and Security

• All data is processed in accordance with the Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws (including NDPR and GDPR).
• Users retain responsibility for the accuracy and legality of the data they submit.
• The Platform employs administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect data, though absolute security cannot be guaranteed.
• By using the Platform, Users consent to the collection and processing of their data as described in the Privacy Policy.

6. Intellectual Property Rights

• The Platform, including its design, software, layout, and content, is owned by FIAP and protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws.
• Users retain ownership of the content they upload but grant the Platform a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to display, distribute, and promote such content for collaboration and visibility purposes.
• Unauthorised use, reproduction, or redistribution of Platform materials is prohibited.

7. Availability and Maintenance

• While the Platform strives to provide continuous service, temporary interruptions may occur during maintenance, updates, or technical issues.
• The Platform team will make reasonable efforts to notify users of planned downtimes.
• Technical support is available through the Platform's contact page or official support email.

8. Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability

• The Platform is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis.
• FIAP makes no warranties, express or implied, regarding the operation, availability, or reliability of the services.
• Under no circumstances shall FIAP or its partners be liable for loss of data, business interruption, or indirect damages resulting from Platform use.

9. Suspension or Termination

• The Platform reserves the right to suspend or terminate access to any User who violates these Terms or engages in misuse.
• Termination does not affect rights or obligations accrued before termination.
• Users may request account deactivation or data deletion by contacting the Platform administrators.

10. Modifications to the Terms

FIAP may update or revise these Terms as needed. The most recent version will always be accessible on the Platform. Continued use signifies acceptance of any updates.