“Application of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms on national level and the role of national judges” international conference has got underway in Baku. The conference is attended by judges and the President of the European Court of Human Rights, more than 60 judges and chairmen of constitutional, supreme, supreme administrative and other courts of the Council of Europe member states and other countries, senior officials at the Secretariat of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, chairman of Azerbaijan`s Constitutional Court Farhad Abdullayev, Justice Minister Fikrat Mammadov, first deputy chairman of the Milli Majlis Ziyafet Asgarov, Prosecutor General Zakir Garalov,

Director of Department for Coordination of Law Enforcement Agencies at the Administration of the Azerbaijani President Fuad Alasgarov, as well as judges, prosecutors, justice officials, lawyers and human rights experts.

In his opening remarks, Ramiz Rzayev, chairman of Azerbaijan`s Supreme Court, expressed his confidence that the conference will contribute to the implementation of the decisions of the Council of Europe on national level.

President of the European Court of Human Rights Dean Spielmann hailed dialogue between national judges and courts.

Fuad Alasgarov, Director of Department for Coordination of Law Enforcement Agencies at the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, said: “During the 2014 summer part-session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe the Azerbaijani President has identified priorities of the Azerbaijani chairmanship, which include strengthening rule of law through enhanced cooperation in combating corruption; consolidation of culturally diverse societies based on mutual respect and understanding; ensuring social cohesion and social sustainability; enhanced protection of human rights; education of youth in human rights and democratic citizenship.”

“Today’s conference, as one of the events organized within the Azerbaijan’s chairmanship in the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, reaffirms the priority attached by our State to the European Convention on Human Rights and operation of the European Court of Human Rights. Conferences, seminars and presentations held under Azerbaijan chairmanship play significant role in dissemination of the European values and in making Member-States more familiar with Azerbaijan.”

Mr. Alasgarov said: “We support the adoption of new approaches to raise effectiveness of the European Court and widely disseminate the Convention values. The Brighton Declaration of the High Level Conference on the Future of the European Court of Human Rights stressed that “The full implementation of the Convention at national level requires States Parties to take effective measures to prevent violations. National courts and tribunals should take into account the Convention and the case law of the Court. Collectively, these measures would reduce the number of well-founded applications presented to the Court, thereby helping to ease its workload”.

“To implement Convention provisions the Azerbaijani State undertakes effective measures in several directions. These include improvement of legislation, continued trainings for public officials and judges, modernization of judicial infrastructure, public awareness-building, implementation of various social oriented innovations, etc.

Apparently, the main role in protection of human rights and freedoms lays on courts which have the competencies to examine civil, criminal and administrative cases in independent, objective and impartial way,” he said.

“We take purposeful measures to ensure independent and effective operation of judiciary in our country. Among our achievements one can note building of judicial infrastructure meeting modern requirements, creation of new regional administrative and economic and appellate courts in the regions, establishment of and improvement of the activities of the Judicial-Legal Council, establishment of the Academy of Justice, etc.

New transparent procedures on selection of judges in Azerbaijan have been acknowledged by the Council of Europe’s CEPEJ Committee as one of the best practices. Following these procedures young modernizers with knowledge of the Court’s case law were appointed on judge position. They compose now more than 60% of the judiciary.”

“I would like to stress also the significant role played by the Supreme Court in the field of application of the Convention. Vast majority of its decisions are being taken in the light of case law of the European Court and with due regard to Convention requirements.

Azerbaijani State respects the judgments and decisions of the European Court and undertakes necessary measures for their domestic application.”

“There is no doubt that this conference will play important role for Convention’s application in Europe and determination of additional measures for wider implementation of the Court’s case law,” said Mr. Alasgarov.

The conference then featured two sessions titled Anticipation of Violations and Enforcement of the Court`s judgments.