Current Projects
Our goal is to face social challenges with various projects, to bring about positive changes and thus make a contribution to the rule of law and democracy. To this end, we also work together with various cooperation partners.
Draw Attention! International cartoonists for Democracy and the Rule of Law
A book project in cooperation with LAPPAN Verlag
The book, which was created in cooperation with LAPPAN Verlag, brings together renowned German-speaking and international cartoonists who illuminate the current hotspots of democracy and the rule of law in a humorous, satirical and unsparing way.
Their works are accompanied by inspiring contributions from important personalities such as Yésica Sánchez Maya, Oby Ezekwesili, Mikołaj Pietrzak and Homeira Qaderi.
More information at drawattention.de
Downloads
Contact person
Responsible AI for society
Responsible AI for society: How Hamburg ensures the socially responsible use of artificial intelligence in business and democratic and constitutional principles in the use of artificial intelligence in administration - Two studies by the LawCom.Institute in cooperation with ARIC e.V.
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) holds enormous potential for the economy, businesses and the administration. AI is of outstanding importance for the development of Hamburg. However, AI also encounters considerable reservations and factual challenges, particularly with regard to possible misuse, transparency or handling of data. With the AI Act, which was still in the coordination process between the EU Commission, the Council and the European Parliament at the time of publication of the studies, the EU wants to counter this development and establish binding guard rails and concrete requirements for the use of AI systems worldwide for the first time.
With two studies commissioned by the Hamburger Behörde für Wirtschaft und Innovation (BWI) and the Innovations- und Förderbank Hamburg (IFB), the LawCom.Institute and the Artificial Intelligence Centre (ARIC e.V.) have analysed challenges in dealing with AI, outlined the coming European regulatory framework and developed technical and institutional recommendations for Hamburg in a cooperative collaboration between lawyers, political and cultural scientists, computer scientists and practitioners from business and administration, among others. The studies aim to analyse legal changes and societal needs and to support in particular small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as the administration of the FHH in the transformation, to give recommendations and to strengthen the AI ecosystem in Hamburg. The focus is on the claim of "Responsible Artificial Intelligence", i.e. the socially responsible, ethical use of artificial intelligence.
Contact person
Responsible AI Alliance
Following the project studies on Responsible AI, the LawCom.Institute founded the RAI Alliance together with the Artificial Intelligence Center e.V. and 2do digital GmbH. The aim is to work together on Responsible AI and strengthen the dialog between business, science and politics.
Together with the Artificial Intelligence Centre (ARIC e.V.) and 2do digital GmbH, the LawCom.Institute has launched the RAI Alliance - an association of companies and stakeholders from Hamburg and beyond to work together on the socially and ethically responsible use of AI.
The aim of the RAI Alliance is to maintain a continuous dialog with various players from business, science and politics. The RAI Alliance offers a platform for exchange and cooperation in order to jointly develop solutions to the challenges of AI use. RAI Alliance partners include TUI Cruises, Lufthansa Industry Solutions, the Otto Group, LUIS Technology and Tiplu.
As LawCom.Institute, we work to build knowledge and establish the culture of Responsible AI. We are committed to developing and using AI technologies in such a way that they serve the good of society and economic development. We attach great importance to ethical and transparent approaches that make the most of the many opportunities offered by AI while addressing the associated challenges.
At LawCom.Institute, we believe that only by networking and joining forces we will succeed in shaping a future that offers opportunities and in which we can take on challenges.
The project is funded by the Hamburger Behörde für Wirtschaft und Innovation (BWI).
Find out more about the RAI Alliance, our mission and how we want to shape the future of AI responsibly.
Contact person
Project study on a possible cooperation with arbitration institutions in Africa
The African continent, with its 54 states shaped very differently by the former colonial powers, presents a mixed picture in terms of the rule of law. Access to the state civil justice system is difficult in many places, and judicial impartiality is not always guaranteed.
Alternative dispute resolution mechanisms can be an option to strengthen rule of law structures and better address national needs. This is the aim of our project study on the status of arbitration in Africa.
Commissioned by the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, it analyses the possibilities of establishing cooperation between African arbitration institutions and the Chamber of Commerce. The study also focuses on a critical and sensitive view of the different legal needs of various stakeholders, thus reflecting the mission of the Mission des LawCom.Institute, which promotes the rule of law and democracy. The focus is not only on Germany but also consciously on other regions of the world.
Downloads
Contact person
Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with all cooperation partners for international visibility and growth of arbitration in Africa
The international arbitration landscape in Africa's different independent states has been evolving positively particularly rapidly over the last decade, driven by a surge in international trade and investment across the continent. Commercial disputes involving African parties or assets have seen a significant increase in recent years, with international arbitration emerging as one of the most important means of dispute resolution.
This finding was the starting point for our "Project study on possible cooperation with arbitration institutions in Africa", which was commissioned by the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce in March 2022. The aim was to identify African arbitration institutions whose rules of procedure and organizational structures meet international standards. Based on the results of this study, the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation, commissioned us to design a cooperation with the arbitration institutions CRCICA in Cairo (Egypt), KIAC in Kigali (Rwanda) and NCIA in Nairobi (Kenya) and to support the implementation. An expansion to other African arbitration institutions is being considered.
This project of cooperation project is anchored in the spirit of promoting international friendship and understanding. The significant added value lies in the connection of the two areas of rule of law and economics, with a shared commitment to create a conducive environment for this purpose. It contributes to ensuring that dispute resolutions through arbitration are primarily conducted on-site within the African continent.
The African arbitral institutions engaged in this cooperation have put up impactful platforms for resolving disputes through arbitration in the continent. In their pursuit to elevate the level of arbitration, they have deemed it fit to create a network that allows them to share their strengths, knowledge, markets and find solutions to common challenges in a way that will make them further develop sustainable trade while increasingly promoting commercial dispute resolution. The focus is to ensure that the seats of these institutions become highly competitive as global arbitration venues.
The Hamburg Chamber of Commerce is geared towards a future of cross-continental business networks that promote inclusivity, equality of terms and a sustainable network of trade development and open dispute resolution mechanism for German business engaged in transnational trade.
Details of the planned steps to implement the cooperation can be found in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the cooperation partners in Nairobi on March 7, 2023.