Mrs Battaini-Dragon was appointed Director General of Social Cohesion in July 2001. She is the first woman ever to be nominated to the rank of Director General in the Council of Europe. Through a variety of legislative and policy instruments, her Directorate has contributed to the implementation of the Council of Europe’s Strategy on Social Cohesion in its 45-member states.

Mrs. Battaini-Dragoni has published widely on a variety of social policy topics in both Anglophone and Francophone academic journals and international publications. She recently contributed to two World Bank Publications on social exclusion and social standard issues.

Mrs. Battaini-Dragoni is a frequently invited guest speaker at UN, EU, OECD, World Bank, WHO and ILO meetings. In 2001, she lectured at World Bank meetings in the US, Asia and Europe on the European Social Model and its standard setting instruments. In addition, she participated as a member of the drafting group of the Committee on Social Affairs and Employment of the European Parliament and contributed to the report on “illiteracy and social exclusion”. In Strasbourg, she is a member of the Academic Steering Group of the Centre of European Studies, responsible for planning the Center’s academic curricula.