Seventh Issue: December2017

 

After the successful launch of the issue of “The UN Constitutional” newsletter in early 2014, six UN entities released the seventh edition of the UN’s newsletter on constitutional assistance in December 2017.

 

The newsletter is being produced jointly by the UN Department of Political Affairs, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Development Programme, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and UN Women.

 

By launching the publication, these arms of the UN, all of which work on constitutional matters, aim to bolster information-sharing, collaboration, and cross-learning. 

 

The newsletter, published thrice yearly, emphasises important debates in constitution-making, with thematic articles covering a wide array of topics.

 

The UN Constitutional is part of a broader push to strengthen the UN’s contribution to constitution-making. Far from being a theoretical exercise, constitution-making can have very tangible outcomes.

 

A constitution is not a lifeless piece of paper. If implemented properly, a strong constitution is the backbone of many democracies. In many instances, constitutions are a pre-condition for the fundamental freedoms cherished by millions of people around the world. Constitutions enshrine in law the rights enjoyed by citizens, thereby penetrating every sphere of life – from human rights and political participation to the distribution of resources and environmental protection.

 

It comes as no surprise, therefore, that supporting countries as they review and revise their constitutions is pivotal to ensuring peace and stability at the national, regional and international levels.

 

Nurturing that peace and stability is at the very heart of DPA’s mandate, and a goal shared by all participating UN entities, each of which focuses on a particular aspect of constitution-making – from ensuring that women’s rights are respected to paving the way for long-term development.

 

The recently launched newsletter offers a regular snapshot of what is going on in the complex environment of constitutional assistance, featuring news from Headquarters and UN Country Teams, Political and Peacekeeping Missions on the ground.

 

Sign up for the next edition, or share your feedback: constitutionmaker@un.org

 

Download 'The UN Constitutional' Issue 7

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  • Interview with Yash Ghai, Professor and Advisor on Constitutionmaking
  • Featured: A Brief Introduction to Federalism 
  • Featured: Is Constitutional Recognition Sufficient for Recognition of State Institutions? A Case Study of Women's National Machineries
  • Updates from the Field and HQ
  • Digest of recent publications and other announcements

 

Download 'The UN Constitutional' Issue 6

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  • Interview with the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
  • Featured: Advancements in Constitutional Recognition of LGBTI Rights
  • Featured: The Role of Standing in Constitutional Jurisprudence on Gender Equality
  • Updates from the Field and HQ
  • Digest of recent publications and other announcements

 

Download 'The UN Constitutional' Issue 5

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  • Interview with Former Nepal Constituent Assembly Chair Hon. Subash Chandra Nemwang
  • Featured: Unpacking Context: What exactly do we mean by context-driven constitutional assistance? 
  • Featured: The Relationship between Sustainable Development Goal 5 and gender equality constitutional provisions
  • Updates from the Field and HQ
  • Digest of recent publications and other announcements

 

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 Download 'The UN Constitutional' Issue 4

  • Interview with the Ali Tourhani, President of the Libyan Constitutional Drafting Assembly
  • Featured: History of Constitutional Law in the Sharia Legal System
  • Featured: Constitutionalism in Africa: the Challenge of Reform for Undemocratic Purposes
  • Updates from the Field and HQ
  • Digest of recent publications and other announcements. 

 

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  • Interview with the Honorable Tito Rutaremara, Senator of the Republic of Rwanda
  • Interview with Valnora Edwin, Civil society activist in Sierra Leone
  • Featured: Constitutional Reform and Social Contract
  • Updates from the Field and HQ
  • Digest of recent publications and other announcements. 

 

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   Download 'The UN Constitutional' Issue 2

  • Interview with H.E. Mustapha Ben Jaafar, President of the Tunisian Constituent Assembly
  • The Use of Social Media and Technology in Constitution-Making
  • Gender Responsive Constitutional Reforms: Is the Glass Half Full or Half Empty?
  • Updates from the Field and HQ
  • Digest of recent publications and other announcements

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 Download 'The UN Constitutional' Issue 1

  • Topical articles: ‘UNDP’s work on Civic Education in Kenya’ and ‘Comments on Equal Citizenship in Political Transitions
  • An interview with Fink Haysom, UN deputy chief in Afghanistan
  • ‘Updates from the Field’ that testify on the constitutional support provided by UN Missions and Country Teams
  • A digest of recent publications and other announcements