Liri Kopaçi-Di Michele is Head of Violence against Women Division and Executive Secretary of the monitoring mechanisms of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention). Her experience at the Council of Europe includes the development, promotion and implementation of Council of Europe standards, programmes and activities in the area of gender equality and women’s rights as well as advisory functions in the Private Office of the President of the Parliamentary Assembly and the Private Office of the Secretary and Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe. Ms Kopaçi-Di Michele graduated with an MSc. in Management from the University of Surrey in England and a BA in English Language from the University of Tirana in Albania.