IDEA’s constitution building efforts have taken place in Bolivia, Ecuador and in Colombia.
In 2006, the Bolivian government formed a Constituent Assembly to draft a new Constitution, which was later approved by a substantial majority in a referendum in January 2009. The new Constitution strongly emphasizes social inclusion, redistribution of wealth and equity. International IDEA has provided support throughout this complex process, most recently working with the Plurinational Legislative Assembly on developing new legislation in line with the new Constitution. Additionally, IDEA works with the Assembly to develop its own rules of procedure and ways of working internally and with newly created law-making bodies at the sub-national level.
Ecuador, has emerged from twelve years of considerable political and economic unrest into relative stability since the 2006 national elections, when Rafael Correa won the Presidency. Since then, a broad political reform process was initiated: a new constitution was adopted in 2008 and new elections took place in 2009. As a result of the profound changes contained in the new Ecuadorean Constitution, IDEA has worked with the National Assembly on the development of a new legal framework.
Constitutional reform, particularly in relation to the political system, is often on the political agenda in both Colombia and Peru, with International IDEA providing technical support and access to international experiences.
