On 13 April, the Max Planck Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Chilean Commission of Experts, one of the main organs tasked with the drafting of a new constitution in Chile’s second constitution-making process.
The Commission of Experts, a body of 24 professionals appointed by Congress, was represented by its President, Ms Verónica Undurrága and its Vice-president Mr Sebastián Soto.
Pursuant to the MoU, the Foundation undertakes the provision of technical legal assistance to the Commission and its members in the form of preparation of legal memoranda, in-person and online consultations, and revision of drafts, among other types of legal support. The provision of the Foundation’s assistance will be based on comparative law, and will be guided by the principles of neutrality, academic excellence and local ownership of the process.
The Commission is expected to finish its mandate on 7 of June 2023. The draft prepared by the Commission will be subsequently presented to a Constitutional Council, a democratically elected body of approximately 50 members. The final draft will be submitted to a referendum in December 2023.
The signing of the MoU formed part of the Foundation’s project entitled ‘Supporting Chile’s Constitution Making Process – Phase III‘, funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.