The Institute works in close cooperation with UN, academic institutions, national human rights institutions, anti-corruption bodies and justice sector institutions and civil society, while at the same time expanding partnerships to other sectors such as local authorities, the business community and the media.
We work with the OHCHR, jointly developing international policy and normative frameworks on the nexus of corruption and human rights, in order to, on one hand, raise the awareness of the violative effects of corruption on societies and groups, particularly those in vulnerable situations, and the obligations of state parties to ensure human rights and protect their citizens. On the other hand, to enhance the knowledge of human rights law and instruments to mitigate and prevent practices of corruption, and advance democratic rule of law.
Our Work in Zimbabwe
In Zimbabwe, we work with the Human Rights Commission, the Anti-Corruption Commission and The Gender Commission, on integrating the human rights and corruption nexus into the work within their individual mandates, as well as, to promote, improve and enhance inter-institutional collaborations on awareness raising activities, research and investigations.
The work contributes to more efficient implementation of the commissions’ mandates, raises the knowledge of violations caused by corruption and the rights of the victims. We also work with academic institutions to develop an understanding of the nexus between human rights and corruption, and how it can be used in education and research. For example, through development of courses and educational material, and empirical studies.
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Morten Koch Andersen
Morten Koch Andersen holds a PhD in International Development Studies from Roskilde University. His research interests are in the fields of human rights documentation, rule of law practices, public authority, corruption, torture and violence, impunity and discretion, and unequal citizenship.
He specializes in the interdisciplinary study of the nexus between corruption, human rights and development, mainly in South Asia.
The key questions of his research are, the paradoxes and dilemmas in:
- The interactions between violent political organizations and their members.
- The effects on impunity on individuals, institutions, and society?
- The motivational aspects of choice making in corruption.
He has several years of experience as programme manager of development cooperation in relation to prevention of torture and rehabilitation of survivors – during and after violent conflict, and in places of detention. I have worked on institutional and legal reform, establishments of support systems, education of health and legal professionals, and of prison and police authorities. He has managed partnership collaborations in Europe, North, South and West Africa.
Currently, he advises national human rights institutes, anti-corruption institutes and universities on the relationships between corruption and human rights, and their implications for institutions, individuals and societies, in Africa, Asia and Caucasus.
He has previously been guest researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, senior researcher at the Danish Institute Against Torture. Currently, he is affiliated researcher at the Center for Global Criminology at University of Copenhagen, external lecturer in Global Studies at Roskilde University and teaches at the International Anti-Corruption Academy.
He has worked with the UNODC on the development of educational material on the nexus between human rights and corruption, and developed web-based educational material on corruption and human rights, and violent mobilization for high school education.
For further updates on his research, please refer to his Research profile:
https://portal.research.lu.se/en/persons/morten-koch-andersen
Mikael Johansson
Mikael Johansson holds a Master of Laws from the Faculty of Law at Lund University, with specialisation in international human rights law and international humanitarian law. He has been with the Institute since 1991 and has held several positions within the department for international programmes, including head of programmes, and has also functioned as the Institute’s advisor on Strategic Planning and Quality Assurance. He is currently the director of the Institute´s Zimbabwe Programme and Harare Office, and the Institute’s Senior Policy Adviser on Anti-Corruption and Human Rights. From September 2004 to August 2006 Mikael worked at the Embassy of Sweden in Harare, as the Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency’s (Sida), Regional Adviser for Democracy and Human Rights for Southern Africa.
Mikael’s work experience covers management of institutional and human rights capacity development programmes and strategic planning and policy development related to development cooperation and human rights, including results based management and application of human rights based approaches to development. He has vast experience in the fields of administration of justice, rule of law and anti-corruption. He is the current coordinator of the UN Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme Network of Institutes and he is since 2011 member of the Board of Directors of the International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law.
Our Work in Armenia
In Armenia, we work with the Academy of Justice in developing educational material on the human rights and corruption nexus for new judges and prosecutors, to increase their knowledge and awareness of its practices and consequences within a criminal justice perspective. We work with the human rights defender’s office on increasing their knowledge on how corruption affects the rights of the citizens. We work with the universities to develop an understanding of the nexus of human rights and corruption, and how it can be utilized in education and research. For example, through development of courses and educational material, and empirical studies.
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Zuzana Zalanova
Ms. Zalanova has been promoting human rights, good governance, and civic engagement in various capacities in Europe and Central Asia.
Since joining RWI in 2018, she has led RWI programme in Belarus (until 2020), initiated and expanded RWI programme in Armenia, and broadened regional engagement with initiatives in Uzbekistan and the Western Balkans. Her expanding portfolio includes four projects in Ukraine, supported by sub-regional engagement in Poland and Moldova.
In 2023, Ms. Zalanova also assumed the role of Acting Executive Director of the International Legal Assistance Consortium (ILAC), an international nongovernmental consortium established in 2002 to help coordinate and support the efforts of legal professionals to rebuild justice institutions in conflict and post-conflict countries. Through its member organisations and individuals, ILAC is comprised of more than 3 million legal professionals worldwide, including judges, lawyers, prosecutors, and court administrators.
Ms. Zalanova teaches regularly international development, human rights, and project management at three faculties of the Lund University in Sweden.
Before joining RWI, Ms. Zalanova worked for the United Nations in Ukraine, leading the UN Volunteers programme with a focus on civic and youth engagement. She previously coordinated rule of law programmes of the International Development Law Organisation (IDLO) in Mongolia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe, supported regional human rights and justice initiatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Europe and Central Asia, and managed the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum, a platform of civil society actors from the EU and Russia.
Ms. Zalanova holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, a master’s degree in Security Studies, and a joint (bachelor’s and master’s) degree in International Relations with a specialisation in Non-Profit Management from her studies in the Czech Republic (Charles University, University of Economics) and the United Kingdom (University of Reading).
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Addressing Corruption through Research, Collaboration and Education