01/04/2026 | Secretary General of the Assembly
PACE Secretary General Despina Chatzivassiliou has highlighted growing trust between Ukrainian partners and the Council of Europe after nearly four years of high-level dialogue between them – and underlined the Assembly’s continued support as the country looks to reinforce its democratic...
08/03/2026 | Secretary General of the Assembly
Opening a public speaking competition for young people hosted by the National Council of Monaco to mark International Women’s Day, Despina Chatzivassiliou, Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly, recognised the important role played by young people in promoting equality, and emphasised...
07/11/2025 | Secretary General of the Assembly
“The Pyrenean Freedom Routes* are a living tribute to the values of dignity, liberty and responsibility towards one another – exactly the values that the Council of Europe has strived to protect for 76 years,” said Despina Chatzivassiliou, Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly, speaking...
30/09/2025 | Session
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) today re-elected Despina Chatzivassiliou to the post of Secretary General of the Assembly. She will serve a second five-year term starting on 1 March 2026. Addressing the Assembly members upon her election, she said: “Your cross-party...
21/03/2025 | European Conference of Presidents of Parliament
“Enhancing the efficiency and accessibility of parliamentary information through AI has become one of our strategic priorities. With nearly seven years of practical experience, we have directly observed both the considerable benefits and significant considerations inherent in the deployment of AI...
10/02/2025 | Secretary General of the Assembly
“Supporting the European perspective of Western Balkans has been a priority for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe since my election as its Secretary General back in January 2021”, today said Despina Chatzivassiliou addressing the Meeting of Secretaries Generals of EU Parliaments...
20/12/2024 | Secretary General of the Assembly
PACE Secretary General Despina Chatzivassiliou travelled to Crete on 18 December to take part in a two-day event to promote human rights as part of the Region of Crete's new campaign "Equality4Crete - do the right thing!" Around 60 schools, including secondary schools, took part in the event...
14/11/2024 | Secretary General of the Assembly
“For too long, the energy and passion young people bring to public life haven’t been fully matched by their representation in our political processes and institutions,” said PACE Secretary General Despina Chatzivassiliou-Tsovilis, at the opening ceremony of the Youth Space 2024 Conference in...
05/11/2024 | Parliamentary support
“This conference has been more than a series of sessions; it has been a shared moment of reckoning and resolve, a testament to our collective drive to safeguard integrity, safety, equality and inclusion in sport”, said PACE Secretary General Despina Chatzivassiliou-Tsovilis, speaking today at the...
26/08/2024 | Secretary General of the Assembly
PACE Secretary General Despina Chatzivassiliou-Tsovilis has hailed the athletes who will “simply be wowing us” at the forthcoming Paralympic Games, helping to create societal change, during a ceremony to welcome the passage of the Paralympic Torch through the Council of Europe on its way to Paris...
02/07/2024 | Secretary General of the Assembly
PACE Secretary General Despina Chatzivassiliou-Tsovilis has reiterated the Assembly’s unwavering support for Ukraine and its people at a high-level dialogue with Ukrainian partners in Strasbourg. Addressing the opening of a third such dialogue on the theme “Good democratic governance in Ukraine...
03/06/2024 | Secretary General of the Assembly
Speaking at the 4th International Congress of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on 27th May in Athens, PACE Secretary General Despina Chatzivassiliou-Tsovilis recalled that freedom of religion was a fundamental human right, and one of the foundations of our democratic society. “I believe...