Terms of Use

Agreement to Terms

These Terms of Use ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you and the Institute of Climate and Environmental Governance (ICEG), operator of HaDITECH, governing your access to and use of the HaDITECH platform and website.

By accessing or using HaDITECH, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with these Terms, you may not access or use the platform.

Platform Description and Purpose

HaDITECH is a digital platform designed to connect universities and youth across Africa to collaboratively design solutions for climate, biodiversity, and environmental challenges. The platform facilitates:

• Co-creation of environmental solutions through university-youth partnerships
• Knowledge sharing and capacity building on climate action
• Coordination of research and innovation initiatives
• Community engagement on environmental challenges

The platform serves as a pioneering effort to foster innovation and sustainable development across the African continent.

Eligibility

To use HaDITECH, you must:

• Be at least 13 years of age
• Have the legal capacity to enter into binding contracts
• Provide accurate and complete registration information
• Comply with all applicable laws and regulations
• Not be prohibited from accessing the platform under applicable law

University partners must be accredited institutions with legitimate educational purposes aligned with HaDITECH's mission.

User Accounts and Responsibilities

Account Creation

You may be required to create an account to access certain features. You agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information
• Maintain the security of your account credentials
• Promptly update your information as needed
• Notify us immediately of unauthorized access
• Accept responsibility for all activities under your account

Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

• Use the platform for any illegal or unauthorized purpose
• Impersonate any person or entity
• Post false, misleading, or defamatory content
• Harass, threaten, or harm other users
• Interfere with platform security or functionality
• Distribute viruses, malware, or harmful code
• Scrape, harvest, or collect user data without consent
• Use the platform for commercial purposes without authorization

Intellectual Property Rights

Platform Content

All content, features, and functionality of HaDITECH, including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, images, software, and design, are owned by ICEG or its licensors and protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

User-Generated Content

By submitting content to HaDITECH, you:

• Retain ownership of your original content
• Grant ICEG a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, display, and distribute your content for platform operations and mission purposes
• Represent that you have rights to the content you submit
• Agree that your contributions may be used for educational and research purposes

Research and Collaborative Work

Intellectual property rights for collaborative research projects will be governed by separate agreements between participating universities, researchers, and ICEG, ensuring fair attribution and appropriate use of innovations developed through the platform.

Privacy and Data Protection

Your privacy is important to us. Our collection, use, and protection of your personal information is governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. By using HaDITECH, you consent to our data practices as described in the Privacy Policy.

University Partnerships and Pilot Program

HaDITECH's pilot program, launching in 2026, will initially involve eight partner universities in Ghana. Partner universities agree to:

• Support student and faculty participation in platform activities
• Promote ethical research and environmental stewardship
• Share knowledge and best practices with the broader community
• Collaborate in good faith to advance climate and biodiversity solutions
• Comply with institutional policies and applicable regulations

Specific partnership terms will be outlined in separate Memoranda of Understanding between ICEG and participating universities.

Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

"As Is" Provision

HaDITECH is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. ICEG does not warrant that the platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure.

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, ICEG shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of HaDITECH, including but not limited to:

• Loss of data or content
• Business interruption or lost profits
• Errors or omissions in content
• Unauthorized access to your account
• Third-party actions or content

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless ICEG, its officers, directors, employees, partners, and agents from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from your use of HaDITECH, violation of these Terms, or infringement of any rights of third parties.

Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to HaDITECH at any time, without notice, for:

• Violation of these Terms
• Fraudulent or illegal activity
• Conduct harmful to other users or the platform
• Extended periods of inactivity
• Any other reason at our sole discretion

You may terminate your account at any time by contacting us at info@icegafrica.org. Termination does not relieve you of obligations incurred prior to termination.

Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Ghana, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of HaDITECH shall be resolved through good faith negotiation. If negotiation fails, disputes shall be submitted to binding arbitration or, where arbitration is not available, to the competent courts in Ghana.

Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated through the platform or via email. Your continued use of HaDITECH after such changes constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms. We encourage you to review these Terms periodically.

Severability and Entire Agreement

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

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and ICEG regarding HaDITECH and supersede all prior agreements and understandings.