The Max Planck Foundation for International Peace and the Rule of Law provides assistance to the reconstruction or restructuring of the internal organisation to States which have experienced radical change in relation to their constitutional law. Beneficiaries and stakeholders of the Foundation’s expertise include States which are trying to re-establish public order following civil wars, States undergoing a change of direction (e.g. Afghanistan, Sudan or Somalia), new States which come into existence after having seceded from other States (such as South Sudan) and States which are trying to realign their legal systems in the aftermath of the Arab Spring.

These two objectives, consultation and training, often overlap. Training generally focuses on constitutional law, international law (especially the protection of human rights as well as international humanitarian law), the relationship between national and international law, proceedings in national courts, principles of fair legal processes and professional legal skills.

Furthermore, the Foundation actively engages in academic research from a comparative perspective with a view to supporting the above mentioned objectives.

The Foundation is a fully-owned subsidiary of the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science, a non-profit German research organisation currently operating more than 80 institutes and research facilities.