The Max-Planck-Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law has been engaged in the Sudanese peace process between the government in Khartoum and the Southern Sudanese rebel movement, the SPLM, since 2002. The projects of the Institute aim at supporting the peace process and the ensuing constitution-making process through neutral legal advice in different forms.
The projects implemented by the Max-Planck-Institute fall into two consecutive categories: First, the Institute supported the constitution-making-process at the national and Southern Sudanese level. This part of the project culminated in the entry into force of the Interim National Constitution and the Interim Constitution of Southern Sudan in 2005. The second phase of the project focuses on the implementation of these constitutions: The Max-Planck-Institute now offers professional training seminars for Sudanese jurists in constitutional law and gives advice on the drafting of new legislation based on the new constitutions. All the programs that were implemented before the end of 2006 were funded jointly by the European Commission (80%) and by the German Federal Foreign Office (20%). The project activities from 2007 onwards were supported by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Royal Embassy of the Netherlands in Khartoum and the Government of Norway and currently the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Current Activities
The Institute organized the Heidelberg Darfur Dialogue, a forum that allowed various civil society groups from Darfur to discuss different ideas and perceptions of a future constitutional order for Darfur and to voice their opinion on a peaceful solution to the conflict in Darfur in a public discourse.
As a result of the discussions a document for consideration in a future Darfur Peace Agreement was drafted (Heidelberg Darfur Dialogue Outcome Document). This draft was presented to selected political actors and representatives of different groups of society on 19 May 2010 in Berlin.
The Institute currently organizes a series of professional training seminars for staff of the Sudanese Ministry of Justice in Khartoum consisting of special workshops on Sudanese constitutional law, Human Rights and International law.
Prior to the elections in April 2010, the Institute also conducted numerous workshops on the Sudanese election law both in Southern Sudan and in the North of the country.
More information on the individual programs, the members of the Sudan-team at the Institute, the training materials produced in the course of the projects’ implementation and the Sudanese legal documents available to the Institute can be accessed below.
| Organisational status: | Externally funded project |
| Status of Project: | Ongoing |
Head of Section:
Staff member(s):
Dr. Christoph T. Jaeger, Daniel Gruss, Katharina Diehl, Jan Schmidt, Dr. Kathrin Scherr, Klaus Zimmermann, Simone Malz, Mahlet Gebrewold
