PROF. ŠKRBIĆ AT THE WORLD CONGRESS OF CONSTITUTIONAL LAW 2026

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s post-war Constitution exemplifies externally driven constitution-making, highlighting both the reach and limits of international intervention in post-conflict governance. Drafted under the guidance of the US-led international community, it lacked meaningful participation from domestic actors and citizens. The resulting framework enshrines an ethnically discriminatory system that privileges the three so-called constituent peoples (Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs) while systematically excluding “others”, creating structural barriers to political representation and participation.

At the World Congress of Constitutional Law 2026: Sustainable Constitutionalism – Answers for a Changing World, Prof. Škrbić will speak on the topic “Discriminatory by Design: External Architects and the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina”. Building on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s experience, she will examine the tension between international oversight and domestic legitimacy, emphasizing the necessity of inclusive, participatory processes – across ethnic, societal, and gender lines – for durable state-building in post-conflict settings. The presentation argues that lasting democratization requires more than external oversight: it demands the meaningful inclusion of minorities, women, and local communities in designing the rules that shape their political and social lives.

When: 6–10 July 2026
Where: Universidad Externado de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia