“We’re Very Apolitical”: Examining the Role of the International Legal Assistance Expert

International rule of law practitioners are important sources of knowledge transmission in the promotion of global governance. Yet they face significant barriers in their role as bearers of a globalizing legal culture. This article analyzes three of these barriers in the context of rule of law promotion in Central Asia. First, practitioners tend to dismiss the political nature of their work, which local actors then appropriate for their own purposes. Second, this misconception is amplified by the lack of adequate training, experience and continuity among rule of law practitioners. Third, the language barrier and the challenge of translation remain underappreciated. Translation must go far beyond a mere exchange of words and become a transmittal of the historical and cultural experiences embedded in language that make the concept of global governance plausible. Only a persistent presence and a commitment to mutual cooperation can surmount these barriers.