This paper emerged out of longstanding partnerships between the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Directorate for Stability and Humanitarian Affairs), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP – Rule of Law, Justice, Security and Human Rights team of the Bureau of Policy and Programme Support) and Clingendael (Conflict Research Unit). The contents of the paper do not reflect the views or positions of the Ministry or UNDP. Nevertheless, I want to express my gratitude for two contributions they have made to it.

First, a profound willingness exists in both organisations to critically examine internal working practices and external world views. This is essential to continuously re-assess and improve the content of their policies, as well as the link between their policies and the actions they support. From experience, I know that changing bureaucratic practices is a difficult business, but it starts with an openness to reflection and new insights. It is there.

Second, both organisations have allowed me to look deep into their inner workings in full confidence of my ability to develop a nuanced understanding of the issues they face and the objectives they seek to realise in the complex field of rule of law development. This has enabled my thinking to progress beyond conceptual reflections and enriched it with a healthy dose of practical policy and field realities. I hope I continue to do justice to their trust.

From this perspective, I am especially appreciative of the support of Alejandro Alvarez, Christi Sletten and Pall Davidsson of UNDP and Marieke Wierda and Wilma van Esch of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Within Clingendael, Megan Price has been a great sounding board.

I would be remiss not to also wholeheartedly thank Nigel Roberts (a former director of the 2011 World Development Report) and Deborah Isser (part of the team that wrote the 2017 World Development Report) for their inspiring thinking at various points in time.

For a constructive and very helpful peer review, my thanks go to Rachel Kleinfeld (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace), Richard Sannerholm (with the Swedish Folke Bernadotte Academy at the time), Roelof Haveman (Dutch embassy in Bamako, Mali), and Fransje Molenaar and Mariska van Beijnum (Clingendael). Finally, the report was edited by Frances Ellery and professionally typeset by Textcetera.

It remains to state that the contents of the report are, as always, my own responsibility. I look forward to discussing them and having them challenged.