Vision for the Congress

Constitutionalism in a changed world: from old queries to new dilemmas

Never before has the idea of constitutionalism been as at stake as it is now. Classic queries and new dilemmas pose delicate questions on the very role of constitutionalism in contemporary societies and political regimes.

On the one hand, old queries related to democracy, constitutionalism and rule of law have been renewed in parallel with the rise of illiberal democracies, abusive constitutionalism, severe dysfunctionalities of the separation of powers, questioning of the role of a Constitutional Court, the problematic relationship between constitutional law and international law, violations of human rights, and the erosion of the statehood in virtually every region of the world.

While historically these challenges mostly affected undeveloped countries, nowadays they are global illnesses that also impact well-consolidated democracies.

On the other hand, the new agenda for constitutionalism in the present and future is progressively addressing unprecedented dilemmas related to technological advances (e.g., artificial intelligence, digital twins, blockchain, quantum computing, algorithmic governance, the metaverse, super apps, and robotic process automation), climate emergencies, the recognition of the rights of nature and an ecocentric stance, reflections on the rights of future generations, and universal calls to reduce inequalities and to improve the lives of those who suffer from poverty and exclusion.

What does constitutionalism have to say about these dilemmas? Are constitutions still roadmaps for modelling political power? Is constitutionalism a transformative force under this new agenda? These are some of the questions to address by those who gather at the WCCL.

We believe that both old queries and new dilemmas should trigger extensive dialogues between north and south, east and west, on how to achieve the ideals of constitutionalism in a changed and ever-changing world. With this belief, the community at Externado de Colombia University is deeply committed to serving as the epicenter of this academic forum by holding the World Congress of Constitutional Law.