The Constitutional and Administrative Basis of Volunteer Work and Its Impact on Civic Participation – A Comparative Study

Abstract

Volunteer work is one of the fundamental pillars for building societies and enhancing social solidarity, and it has become a necessity given the economic and social challenges facing Iraq. Despite the flourishing of volunteer initiatives in recent years, the legal system governing this activity still faces numerous problems, foremost among which is the lack of legislative regulation of this work, which limits the effectiveness of individuals' civic participation in public affairs.

This study seeks to clarify the constitutional and administrative foundations upon which the regulation of volunteer work in Iraq can be based, by analyzing relevant constitutional texts and determining the extent to which they accommodate the principles of civic participation, as well as examining the administrative framework governing volunteer activity. The study also adopts a comparative approach by analyzing advanced legislative and administrative experiences in order to identify their strengths and the potential for benefiting from them within the context of Iraqi legislation.

The study concludes that the absence of precise and direct constitutional and administrative grounding for volunteer work contributes to limiting its role in enhancing civic participation. This necessitates the adoption of specific legislation on volunteer work that defines it, sets out its objectives, guarantees the rights of volunteers, as well as establishing clear administrative mechanisms for its regulation and the empowerment of supporting institutions.