Constitutional issues are a central aspect of conflict prevention and peacebuilding, as well as the promotion of human rights, the rule of law and sustainable human development. The UN is committed to providing constitutional assistance in a manner that respects national sovereignty, promotes democratic values, inclusion and other the international norms for which the UN stands, is sensitive to the context of the country concerned, and ensures national leadership and ownership.

For the United Nations, constitution-making is a broad concept that covers the process of drafting or amending a constitution, the substance of constitutional text, and the subsequent implementation of a constitution.  It is also the case that some constitutional decisions with long-term implications, such as those concerning access to power and resources and the structure of transitional political arrangements, may be made in the early stages of peace talks, outside a formal constitution-making process.

The Constitutions section of UN Peacemaker aims to provide actors involved in peace processes and the negotiation of peace agreements specifically with key knowledge material related to constitutions and constitution-making. These resources include UN documents and guidance in the areas of constitutional design and constitution making processes, as well as a selected library of publications focusing on specific thematic issues that often arise during constitution making.