The Foundation supports the Ministry of Constitutional Affairs at the event in Mogadishu
From 17-19 August 2021, the Ministry of Constitutional Affairs of the Federal Republic of Somalia organised a public outreach event on the Somali constitutional review process with the Benadir Regional Administration and Benadir civil society organisations in Mogadishu. The Max Planck Foundation supported the event by facilitating presentations and working group discussions on the progress made on the Somali constitutional review process to date.
The purpose of the meeting was to create public awareness and discussion on the Ministry’s handover report for stakeholders on the overall achievements of the Somali constitutional review process. This report outlines the role, functions, and activities of the country’s constitutional review bodies, i.e. the Constitutional Oversight Committee of the Somali Federal Parliament, the Independent Constitutional Review and Implementation Commission, and the Ministry of Constitutional Affairs. It also provides a summary of the third draft constitutional amendment document prepared by the constitutional review bodies during the term of the tenth Parliament as well as options for resolving the outstanding contentious issues.
The meeting’s participants included women, people with disabilities, young people, elders, political scientists, and legal experts from the region of Benadir. The participants were actively engaged throughout the meeting and were given the opportunity to raise concerns or issues central to the Somali constitutional review process. The Foundation addressed questions raised by participants on the options contained in the proposed constitutional amendments; thereby contributed to developing a broader understanding of the Somali constitutional review process.
As part of the framework of EU funded project Legal Capacity Building and Technical Support for the Somali Federal Parliament, the Foundation continues providing technical and legal support for the ongoing constitutional review process in Somalia.