International Online Conference on “The Constitution in the 21st Century - the Rule of Law, the Value of human Beings and the Effectiveness of the State”

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Published: September 7, 2020
IRZ expert Dr. Lars Brocker, President of the Constitutional Court and Higher Administrative Court of Rhineland-Palatinate, during the conference
IRZ expert Dr. Lars Brocker, President of the Constitutional Court and Higher Administrative Court of Rhineland-Palatinate, during the conference
Kazakhstan

This year, the Republic of Kazakhstan (RK) is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its constitution. To mark the occasion, on 27 August 2020 the Constitutional Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan organised an online conference on “The Constitution in the 21st Century - the Rule of Law, the Value of human Beings and the Effectiveness of the State”.

Attending this high-level protocolary event were:

  • top representatives of Kazakhstan’s state authorities,
  • prominent public figures,
  • well-known scientists and academics,
  • representatives of international organisations,
  • presidents and judges from the constitutional courts of more than twenty states.

The IRZ partner states taking part in the online conference included Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation and Ukraine.

The President of the RK Constitutional Council, Kairat Mami, opened the conference and read out the welcome address of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nasarbajew. The President of Kazakhstan, Kasim-Jomart Tokajev, then gave his welcome speech. He said that history has shown convincingly that the people strive for the establishment of the rule of law and for the guarantee of basic human rights and freedoms. Afterwards, IRZ Managing Director Dr. Frauke Bachler addressed the participants in the conference on behalf of IRZ.

The main focus of the event was on the importance of fundamental values and how these can be protected during the pandemic. IRZ expert Dr. Lars Brocker, President of the Constitutional Court and Higher Administrative Court of Rhineland-Palatinate, took part in the conference, giving a lecture on “Protecting constitutional human rights and democratic values during the Coronavirus era: the responsibilities of the Federal Constitutional Court in Germany.” He spoke about how constitutional and administrative courts in Germany are dealing with the protection of fundamental rights in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The conference, which was broadcast live on YouTube, was divided into three sessions:

  • Constitution and the Rule of Law: Challenges and Ways of Solutions
  • Protection of Constitutional Human Rights and Democratic Values in the Digital Transformation Era
  • Constitutional Principles of Modernization of a Modern and Efficient state

Twenty high-ranking speakers ensured a multidimensional and international exchange of experiences, which also dealt extensively with the constitutional aspects of measures introduced in the context of the Coronavirus pandemic.