This article examines the role played by five independent commissions which managed contentious issues in post-Good Friday Agreement Northern Ireland. It finds that external or international actors can play a very useful role during the implementation of consociational arrangements. The commissions were most successful when they combined international involvement with local composition in keeping with consociational principles. Weak or non-existence international input and behaviours which were not in keeping with consociational principles undermined the commissions and resulted in the failure of the commissions to resolve their respective issues.