Annual Review of Constitution-Building: 2025

Abstract

The International IDEA Annual Review of Constitution-Building examines global constitutional reform efforts around the world. The 2025 review covers cases from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and the Pacific, highlighting the challenges facing democratic constitutionalism amid political transitions, polarization, and weakening constitutional safeguards. Topics include constitutional reform processes in Bangladesh, Ghana, and Palestine; political transitions in Bangladesh and Syria; Gen Z mobilization and its constitutional implications in Nepal and Madagascar; barriers to constitutional change in Fiji and The Gambia; the use of constitutional reform to entrench personalized rule in Chad, Djibouti, El Salvador, Guinea, and Nicaragua; and the impact of digital speech regulation on freedom of expression in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. While the global picture remains troubling, the report highlights the importance of inclusive constitution- building processes, broad political agreement, and effective safeguards against the concentration of power, particularly at a time of growing polarization and pressure on constitutional rights.