Drafting the constitution

The roadmap to creating a lasting Cardano constitution

Beginnings: CIP-1694

In November 2022, a new on-chain governance system was presented to the community for consideration (see CIP-1694). In the past 18 months, this CIP has become the most actively engaged CIP in Cardano history. This proposal describes a governance system that creates on-chain governance for the Cardano blockchain. And while it lays out the technical specification for on-chain governance, it does not define the necessary off-chain aspects of governance.

Notably, it does not define a governing document for the social layer managing the blockchain, the Cardano Constitution.

Our First Governing Document: Interim Cardano Constitution

The first Cardano Constitution will be the Interim Constitution. This will be in place as part of the interim phase of on-chain governance (learn more here), to enable the Chang Upgrade.

The next step in the process of developing the Cardano Constitution is to host Constitutional Workshops around the world to solicit feedback from members of the Cardano community at large. This feedback will feed into the Constitutional Convention for approval by Constitutional Delegates. Following the Constitutional Convention and successful on-chain ratification of the Cardano Constitution produced at that event, the new Constitution will replace the Interim Constitution.

Contributing to the final constitution via constitutional workshops

Intersect, in close collaboration with members and steered by the Cardano Civics Committee, will support and facilitate the consultation period leading up to the on-chain ratification of the final constitution in early 2025.

To support the consultation period, the Cardano Civics Committee will contribute by;

• Providing input on a new draft Cardano constitution, and

• Defining the process for Constitutional Workshops to select Constitutional Delegates and Alternate Delegates to attend the Cardano Constitutional Convention in Buenos Aires in December 2024.

The global constitutional workshops are a keystone of the constitutional journey in 2024. To capture a diverse set of perspectives from the Cardano ecosystem, Intersect will support community hosts to facilitate and coordinate workshops around the world in geographically distinct regions. Intersect will provide constitutional workshop hosts who are members with a one-time grant to facilitate hosting a live event experience in their community - ensuring Cardano's final constitution meets the diverse needs of our global community.

These workshops should be held in-person with an option for additional virtual attendance, and take place between August 1st and October 15th.