Constitution-building has become an increasingly common activity as countries seek to improve their state apparatus or make political transitions to realize national goals and address current challenges.

The introduction to this publication explores 22 such processes from 2013 within a global context. The report does not attempt to present a comprehensive collection of every constitution-building process from 2013; rather, it provides a record of selected constitution-building events and acts as a resource for future constitution-building processes.

Three emergent themes can be identified: first, demands placed on constitutions are increasing; second, the process is inextricably linked to the substance; those drafting the constitution directly influence its core principles; and third, the report reveals that constitution-building processes matters a great deal to citizens, politicians and organized interest groups, and to the international community.