Constitution-building processes in post-conflict settings are exceedingly difficult undertakings.

Actors that have previously engaged in violent confrontation become responsible for the (re)framing and (re)building of the post-conflict state. Interim constitutions represent a form of ‘political settlement’ that seeks to dis-incentivise armed conflict as a means of pursuing political goals.

This report documents a workshop held on 4–5 December 2014 at Old College, Edinburgh, and hosted by International IDEA and the Edinburgh Centre for Constitutional Law in association with the Global Justice Academy, University of Edinburgh.

The workshop was the first step in an initiative that aimed to fill a gap in the policy and academic literature on the process and design of interim constitutions in conflict-affected settings. The experiences and knowledge shared in the workshop informed the development of a subsequent International IDEA Policy Paper, Interim Constitutions: Peacekeeping and Democracy-Building Tools.