User:Ilvolpe87/Luisella Pavan-Woolfe

Luisella Pavan-Woolfe (Trieste, 29 December 1950) is an European Diplomat. Since 2015, she is the Head of the Council of Europe Representation in Italy.

Biography
Born in Trieste, Italy, Luisella Pavan-Woolfe studied in the U.S.A., Norway, Denmark and graduated in Political Science magna cum laude from the University of Padua. Here she subsequently became assistant professor of Anglo-American law.

From 1975, as an official of the European Commission, she developed new policies and legislation in the areas of environment protection, equality between women and men and people with disabilities. As Social Fund Director she managed funds which support vocational training, employment and education in the European Union.

In 2005, she was the first Director for Equal Opportunities to be nominated by the European Commission. As such she was responsible for the European Union's s policy developments in the areas of gender and fight against all forms of discrimination.

In 2007, she was appointed Representative to the Council of Europe. As member of staff of the Servizio europeo per l'Azione Esterna,, she opened the European Union Delegation to the Council of Europe. She worked in Strasbourg as the first EU Ambassador to the Council of Europe and head of delegation from 2010 to 2014. Her mandate covered human rights and democratic governance in wider Europe.

In Venice, since 2015, she is the Head of the Council of Europe Representation in Italy. Here her work has focused on cultural rights as human rights and an essential component of democratic systems; cultural heritage as source of identity and its role in conflict prevention and reconciliation.

Pubblications
She is author of numerous articles on European subjects and of books on the inter relations between social issues and employment policy in the EU and cultural heritage.

“Il fondo sociale europeo nello sviluppo italiano” was published in 1998 by Seam Edizioni.

“'''Il valore del patrimonio culturale per la società e le comunità. La Convenzione del Consiglio d'Europa tra teoria e prassi'''” was published in 2019 by Linea Edizioni.

Awards
Marisa Bellisario Award in 1997.

External link
Council of Europe Office in Venice

Fondazione Marisa Bellisario