The Secretariat of the Council of Europe
The Secretariat is divided into three Directorates-General:
- Directorate-General I (Human Rights and Rule of Law)
- Directorate-General II (Democracy)
- Directorate-General DGA (Administration)
Unlike the Permanent Representatives of the Committee of Ministers and the diplomats under their authority, who only work in Strassburg for a couple of years, before they are posted to a different job in a different country, the officials in the Secretariat of the Council of Europe remain at the organisation.
Some of the executive staff members have been working for the Council of Europe for decades: They not only know the organisation inside out and exert considerable influence on it, but also bring valuable expertise to the table and preserve the institutional memory.
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe
The current Secretary General, Alain Berset (Switzerland), came into office in September 2024.
He is the public figurehead of the Council of Europe, heads the secretariat and is – on behalf of the Committee of Ministers – responsible for the overall coordination, the strategic planning, the work programme and the budget of the organisation.
The Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe
In 2021, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) elected him for a five-year term of office.
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Illustration and Björn Berge © CoE; Agora © Europe’s Human Rights Watchdog; Alain Berset © SP Schweiz
