Constitution-building does not end with the promulgation of a text. To build a robust constitutional democracy, requires ongoing work by political leaders, civil society and the citizens to ensure the promises of the constitution are upheld, and to review and revise the constitution when necessary.

As governments and societies evolve and become more complex, the number of issues covered by constitutions continues to grow. International IDEA proactively identifies emerging social, political, and economic trends that impact constitutional process and design, and conducts research to provide knowledge for constitution makers on how to address new issues such as digitalization and climate change.

Political mediation often faces critical challenges revolving around constitutional issues.

International IDEA maintains an ever-expanding library of knowledge resources on topics relating to constitutional design and constitution building processes. They are free to download, and many are available in hard-copy for constitution-makers upon request.

International IDEA strongly believes that constitution-building is a sovereign process which must be nationally owned. The most important source of expertise is found within the country – from those who know and live through the effects of the law, politics and societal changes. This is why International IDEA provides assistance in response to direct requests.

For centuries, constitutional ideas have travelled around the world through exchanges of ideas between people. While every context is unique, such exchanges can inspire and expand the constitutional imagination, as well as providing peer-to-peer encouragement and support for constitution makers from those who have been in their seats elsewhere.