BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 5. An international scientific and practical conference on "State sovereignty and national constitutions in the 21st century: global challenges, trends, and prospects" was held today in Baku, Trend reports.
The conference was organized jointly by the Azerbaijan Center for Social Studies and the Faculty of Law of Istanbul University (Türkiye).
The event is part of the program “2025 - Year of the Constitution and Sovereignty in the Republic of Azerbaijan.”
The first speaker at the conference, Chairman of the Board of the Center for Social Studies, Deputy of the Azerbaijani Parliament, Zahid Oruj, noted that during the defeat, territorial integrity was enshrined on paper in our Constitution. Although the law states that “territories are inviolable,” in reality, 20 percent of our lands were stolen. De jure, they existed; de facto, they did not.
Zahid Oruj stated that our Constitution once became a symbol of our violated national rights:
"Everyone believed that these principles would one day be fully implemented. At that time, although our Constitution stated that “the Republic of Azerbaijan is a unitary state,” in reality, a second separatist entity, a second false constitution, and a second “presidential institution” existed on part of our land. This duality, this dualism of the state, lasted exactly 30 years.
Thus, our right to war was born from our Mother Law. Today, the provision that “Azerbaijan is a single and indivisible state,” enshrined in our Constitution, is no longer just on paper, but is sealed with blood on our lands. This Law of Victory was confirmed by the lives of our martyrs. We were armed with the law before the advent of modern military technology. Our army was strong, but the main reason for our victory was that we were right.
Professor László Vasa of the Hungarian Institute of Foreign Affairs and Trade stated that sovereignty serves as the constitutional basis for full and legitimate participation in the European Union.
He emphasized that sovereignty traditionally meant absolute power over territory: "However, in today's interconnected world, this concept has undergone changes, and modern sovereignty has become a shared and responsible concept that encompasses both autonomy and cooperation. The Hungarian approach shows that a state can adapt to these realities while maintaining its sovereignty within a constitutional framework. Cooperation does not mean dependence. The theoretical basis of the Hungarian model is constitutional sovereignty."
Hamad Salem Al-Hajri, Director of the Programmes and Information Department of the National Human Rights Committee of the State of Qatar, added in his speech that cooperation with international organisations, especially the United Nations, does not undermine sovereignty but, on the contrary, strengthens it.
He noted that Qatar attaches paramount importance to protecting its national values and culture while cooperating with international partners: “By preserving our national identity, we contribute to the protection of human rights, the strengthening of trust and justice together with our international partners.”
In his speech, he highlighted Qatar's efforts to harmonize sovereignty and human rights within the framework of the “National Development Strategy 2030.” Hamad Salem Al-Hajri stated that “sovereignty in the 21st century is not only a legal concept, but also a model of power based on values, institutions, and technologies.”
The official also stressed that for Qatar, international cooperation must be based on mutual respect, trust, and human well-being: “The sovereignty of every state is based on its values and the will of its people. We strive to preserve these values and remain a reliable member of the international community.”
