The Max Planck Foundation for International Peace and the Rule of Law recently conducted the fifth workshop in the Federalism Workshop Series for members and the Secretariat of the National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC). The workshop, themed “Legislative-Executive Design and Dynamics in Federal Governance,” was held from 28 to 30 January in Juba, South Sudan.
This workshop forms part of the broader Federalism Workshop Series, under which four previous workshops have been conducted on key constitutional themes. The last workshop, held in August 2025, focused on approaches to managing diversity, strategies to protect fundamental rights in federal systems, and the role of the judiciary. In this fifth workshop, participants engaged in discussions on foundational concepts and considerations for the design of the legislative-executive branches and their inter-relationships, as well as design options for local government within the framework of the permanent constitution-making process envisioned under the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), which mandates the establishment of a federal system of governance. Comparative case studies from South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, India, and others offered practical insights into how federal systems have addressed similar challenges.
The programme commenced with opening remarks by Hon. Dr Riang Yer Zuor, Chair of the NCRC, followed by remarks from H.E. Ambassador Pelle Enarsson, EU Head of Mission, who addressed the participants while reaffirming the European Union’s continued support to South Sudan’s constitution-making process.
Discussions underscored the importance of prioritising South Sudan’s specific governance challenges and root causes when designing federal arrangements. Members of the NCRC further emphasised the need to continue civic education and public consultations to ensure that the constitution-making process remains inclusive, participatory, and grounded in the aspirations of South Sudanese citizens.
The workshop was generously funded by the European Union under the framework of the project titled ‘Supporting Constitution-Making, Legal Harmonisation and Judicial Reform in South Sudan’.