Spring 2022 Conflict Series - Constitutional Government and the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Each Tuesday, the Conflict, Security, and Development Series will examine new research, discuss creative policy approaches, and highlight recent innovations in responding to the challenges of security and development in conflict and post-conflict situations. 

Dr. Derek M. Powell, Non-resident Fellow, NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs; and Associate Professor, University of the Western Cape in South Africa will draw on examples from the USA, South Africa, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Kenya, as well as other developing and post-conflict countries to examine the question of what impact the pandemic has had on constitutionalism and the rule of law.

Dr. Derek M Powell is an Associate Professor in constitutional law and government at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa. A deputy director-general and senior policy advisor in the South African government during the Mandela and Mbeki administrations (1996-2009), he played a leading role in the establishment of South Africa's system of decentralized government. Prior to that, he was head of the research department at the Constitutional Assembly during the two-year process to draft South Africa's historic post-apartheid constitution. He has worked on constitutional and public sector reforms all over the world, authored or edited three books, and published many journal articles. He is also a Non-resident Fellow at the NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs.

His research addresses problems of constitutional law and government during times of crisis and major social change: peace-making and post-conflict recovery, the COVID-19 pandemic, the digital revolution, and climate change.