Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset Addresses Joint Event Hosted by the School of Law and the Hellenic Society of International Law and International Relations

On Monday, 9 February 2026, the School of Law at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), in collaboration with the Hellenic Society of International Law and International Relations (HESILIR), held an academic gathering in the University’s Great Hall (main building, 30 Panepistimiou Street). Entitled ‘Democracy, the Rule of Law, and Human Rights’, the occasion featured Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset as the keynote speaker. On what was his first official visit to Greece, Secretary General Berset also received the Lord Byron International Prize for Philhellenism 2025.

The event brought together the Secretary General of the Presidency of the Hellenic Republic, Ambassador a.h., Aliki Chatzi; the Greek Minister of Justice, Giorgos Floridis; the Greek Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Haris Theoharis; the former President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Theodoros Rousopoulos; the representative of His Beatitude, the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Ieronymos II; representatives of the Anglican Church; representatives of the Chiefs of the Hellenic Armed Forces; the Ambassadors to Greece of Switzerland, Sweden, Slovakia, Cyprus, and Belgium; the Chargés d’Affaires of the Embassies of the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Finland, Hungary, Poland, and Azerbaijan; as well as numerous faculty members and students from NKUA and other universities.

Proceedings opened with the remarks of Professor Sophia Papaioannou, Vice-Rector of Academic Affairs, International Relations, and Extroversion, followed by a welcome address from Professor Konstantinos Christodoulou, Dean of the University’s School of Law.

Linos-Alexander Sicilianos, Professor at the University of Athens’ School of Law, President of HESILIR, and former President of the European Court of Human Rights, then took the floor. He presented Secretary General Berset’s achievements and personal qualities, emphasising that, in today’s turbulent world, where international law and human rights face mounting challenges, the role of the Council of Europe Secretary General is more important than ever.

Secretary General Berset began his speech in Greek, marking 9 February, which UNESCO recognises as World Greek Language Day, and highlighting the language’s significance for universal culture. He went on to say that Europe’s priority must be to foster a European security environment, while addressing the common challenges faced by the Council of Europe’s Member States, including accountability for Ukraine, judicial independence, combating corruption, and managing migration, all while adhering to European human rights obligations.

A discussion with the audience followed the talk.

The Lord Byron International Prize for Philhellenism 2025 was presented to the honouree by Nikiforos Diamandouros, President of the Academy of Athens, and Konstantinos Velentzas, President of the Society for Hellenism and Philhellenism.

Photos: Dimitris Konstantinidis