Understanding the International Rule of Law Community, its History, and its Practice

Abstract

This Practitioner’s Guide provides an overview of the range of organizations and individuals engaged in rule of law assistance in conflict-affected countries, the history of rule of law promotion and an overview of contemporary practice. Section I outlines the categories of these organizations, giving specific examples in each category. Section II provides a history of rule of law assistance. It is especially important for national actors and international actors to examine the mistakes of the past, so that they are not repeated in the country they are working in. Section III outlines a number of critiques of the international rule of law assistance. These critiques have been acknowledged by the international community, and in an effort to do better, it has created principles to guide rule of law assistance. These principles are explained in Section IV. Finally, Section V ends the guide on a more optimistic note by exploring more novel approaches to rule of law assistance that are currently being pioneered.