Iraq

Start date: 2009 at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law
Areas of expertise: Constitutional Law, Capacity Building, Water Law
Highlights: 2 projects, 2 conferences plus training seminars, colloquia, study visits

Overview

In October 2020, the Iraqi Government adopted a White Paper for Structural Reform that provided an ambitious strategy for a long-needed transformation of Iraqi governance. It offered a comprehensive diagnosis of the chronic and acute problems of the economic system and developed five reform axes, including the development of the governance, legal and administrative environment. Whether it is with regard to the modernisation of the financial sector, the development of non-oil sectors, or natural resource management, amongst other required reforms, the objectives contained in the White Paper require the adoption of coherent legislation and a strong legal framework that promotes the rule of law. This applies to other fields too, including the recent adoption of legislation aimed at protecting the rights of Iraqi communities, with a focus on vulnerable and marginalized groups. While the Iraqi Parliament has taken important steps in this respect, including the 2021 Yazidi Female Survivors Law, challenges persist at the technical legislative drafting level, as well as in terms of the limited participation of civil society in the legislative process.

Against this backdrop, the review of existing laws and adoption of new legislation has been prioritised by Parliament as a key objective for economic development and social reconciliation in Iraq, as well as to ensure stable governance and confidence in the administrative, legal, and judicial frameworks. Further to this, the Iraqi Parliamentary Legislative Department (PLD) has also been tasked with a regular review of laws, aside from its other functions, and has identified the need for training of legislative drafters and legal advisors of the PLD in the technical skills and tools in legislative drafting, best comparative practices, regulatory impact assessment and compliance of laws. The responsibility for preparing studies and analyses of draft laws and proposals also lies with the PLD, as does liaising and exchanging both with relevant parliamentary committees and other non-state bodies concerned with the draft legislation.

Current projects in Iraq

Completed projects in Iraq