Constitution Making: The Role of External Actors

In the past three decades new constitutions have been developed in many parts of the world, often in the aftermath of conflicts, but also in response to demands for more democratic political systems or for the resolution of institutional crises. In these processes, the international community often plays an important role. This article considers the role that external actors play in the elaboration and development of new constitutions in post-conflict societies. It identifies both the negative and the positive roles external intervention can play and suggests approaches that could be adopted by external actors to maximize their impact while avoiding the pitfalls of external intervention