The 67th General Assembly of the International Association of Judges has convened in Baku

On October 12, 2025, the 67th General Assembly of the International Association of Judges (IAJ) began its work at the Baku Convention Center. Hosting the Assembly in Azerbaijan is a sign of the country’s growing influence and a result of the progressive judicial reforms carried out in recent years. In particular, the reforms implemented over the past two years to ensure the independence of the judiciary have been highly praised by the international judicial community.

At the opening ceremony of the Assembly, nearly 300 participants from 71 countries attended, including judges, lawyers, government officials, representatives of international organizations, and well-known legal experts. The event started with the performance of the State Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan, followed by a promotional video about the country, featured by artificial intelligence representators.

Ramiz Rzayev, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Judges’ Association, read out a message from the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, addressed to the participants of the 67th General Assembly of the International Association of Judges.

In his speech at the opening ceremony, Inam Karimov, Chairman of the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan and the Judicial-Legal Council, stated that since regaining independence, Azerbaijan has been building its judicial system based on the principles of democracy, rule of law, and justice. Under the leadership of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev, the Constitution was drafted and adopted, which established the separation of powers, supremacy of law, protection of human dignity, and independence of the judiciary. These foundations have been further strengthened through continuous reforms implemented by President Ilham Aliyev. It was emphasized that today, justice requires close cooperation between countries, and the International Association of Judges plays a significant role in advancing the improvement of justice worldwide. It was also noted that the global judicial system currently faces many challenges and must be prepared to meet them.

Following this, Farid Ahmadov, Minister of Justice of Azerbaijan, emphasized that the judiciary is the guarantor of the most fundamental values of any society. The judiciary protects people from mistakes and guides them in the proper fulfillment of their duties. Everyone must respect the courts because, regardless of their position or role, the final protector of people’s rights is the judge who administers justice.

Duro Sessa, President of the International Association of Judges, said in his speech that true justice must never be overlooked. He stressed that balanced functioning of constitutional structures is vital for the building of trust and understanding to make the voice of the judiciary to be heard everywhere. All these values are crucial for preserving the independence of the judiciary.

The ceremony also included the presentation of the “Judicial Independence Award” by Giacomo Oberto, Secretary-General of the International Association of Judges.

The event continued with a cultural program.

Additionally, as part of the Assembly, an exhibition titled “Symbols of Justice” was organized. The exhibition displayed robes, orders, badges, stamps, and banknotes belonging to nearly 150 judges, attorneys, and prosecutors from 80 countries worldwide.

The General Assembly will continue until October 17. During the Assembly, elections for the organization’s governing bodies will take place, and the judicial-legal systems of various countries, existing problems, and positive experiences will be discussed.

As the host, Azerbaijan’s judicial-legal system will also be showcased.