The Max Planck Foundation is partnering with the Parliamentary Legislative Department (PLD) of the Iraqi Parliament in a project titled ‘Democratising the legislative process in Iraq’
Since Iraq adopted its Constitution in 2005, its implementation has been hindered by the failure of successive governments to adopt coherent programmes for the review and amendment of existing laws and the development of new laws. Incoherence and non-compliance of laws with the constitution and international treaties signed and ratified by Iraq present a serious challenge to stability, trust and confidence in governance. Equally, poorly drafted laws that fail to ring-fence fundamental principles of the rule of law give rise to conflict at both the institutional level and also at the level of the individual with the rest of society, while failing to deliver basic services.
The Foundation will work with the Iraqi Parliamentary Legislative Department (PLD) to train legislative drafters on the technical and substantive skills needed for maintaining high levels of compliance and drafting of laws in Iraq, as well as on participatory law-making mechanisms necessary for ensuring an inclusive legislative process, particularly with respect to vulnerable and marginalized groups. The Foundation will further provide technical assistance, review and commentary on draft laws and provisions on thematic topics of Iraqi legislation. In doing so, it aims to increase the ability of the legislative process to deliver basic services and stabilising policies.
The project will last for two years (2023-2025) with funds generously provided by the German Federal Foreign Office.