The Max Planck Foundation for International Peace and the Rule of Law recently conducted the sixth workshop in the Federalism Workshop Series for the National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC) of South Sudan. The workshop, themed “Federal Capital Cities: Constitutional Design of Status and Structure,” was held from 10 to 12 June 2026 in Juba, South Sudan.
This workshop marks the culmination of the Federalism Workshop Series, under which five preceding workshops were conducted on key topics of federalism and constitution-building. The most recent workshop, held in January 2026, focused on the constitutional design of, and dynamics between, the legislative and executive branches of government in federal systems.
Pursuant to the NCRC’s request, the sixth workshop examined the constitutional treatment of federal capital cities across three broad categories: federal districts, city-states, and cities within member states. Sessions explored the status and governance structures of these capital cities and how they navigated the dual roles inherent to capital cities – the national role as the seat of national government and the local role, where residents live and seek democratic autonomy.
The workshop opened with remarks by Hon. Dr Riang Yer Zuor, Chair of the NCRC, who expressed appreciation for participants’ time and engagement throughout the workshop series. The Deputy Head of Mission of the EU Delegation, Hon. Lothar Jaschke, also addressed the attendees and commended the NCRC for its achievements in advancing the constitution-making process.
Discussions throughout the workshop underscored the importance of accounting for South Sudan’s historical context and specific challenges, and of balancing developmental needs with the rights of its citizens within a federal framework.
The workshop was generously funded by the European Union under the project titled ‘Supporting Constitution-Making, Legal Harmonisation and Judicial Reform in South Sudan’.