Kalliopi Koufa Foundation

The Kalliopi Koufa Foundation for the Promotion of International and Human Rights Law is a charitable institution. It was established in May 2012 (Official Journal of the Hellenic Republic 1491/B/2012) and has its headquarters in Thessaloniki. The Foundation, a legal person governed by private law, is subject to the monitoring and control of the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Education, Lifelong Learning and Religious Affairs.
The object of the Foundation is the theoretical and applied research and cultivation of international law in all of its aspects, and in particular the promotion of the multidisciplinary study of the protection of human rights and of humanitarian law, at an international and national level. In particular, the object of the Foundation includes:
- The promotion of the study of and research in international law in Northern Greece, and the creation and dissemination of specialist knowledge in this subject, with particular emphasis on the promotion, safeguarding and defence of human rights and of humanitarian law.
- National rapprochement along the axis of the aforementioned object of the Foundation, especially in the wider area of Southeastern Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle East, and scientific contribution towards the creation of a more active and dynamic Greek presence in related international and European scientific events.
- The provision of monetary or other financial support (e.g. meals expenses, school enrollment fees , courses or seminars, hotel accommodation, etc.) and the award of prizes for scientific papers in fields which are related to the object of the Foundation, and contribute to the furtherance and promotion of a more dynamic and active Greek scientific presence in the field.
- The scientific connection of the Foundation with other Greek and foreign foundations, organisations or associations, university foundations, centres, institutes and scientific bodies governed by public or private law, which share the same or similar scientific objects or interests.
- Participation in Greek and foreign research programmes and grants by international organisations, the European Union and other foreign and Greek bodies.
The Kalliopi Koufa Foundation has already concluded successfully a Jean Monnet project between 2016 and 2018 on Discourses on EU and Human Rights having participated actively in the academic and policy discussion in this field around Greece. The current proposal is, in a way, a follow-up to that programme, in the sense that it aims at informing experts and public servants on the place of the European Union in the international legal system and illustrate the various ways EU responsibility can be engaged. It will built on the collaborations formed during the previous project and expand with new ones, linked to the economic and development sphere in Greece and abroad, especially in the areas of trade, investment and development aid.
Additionally, the Governing Body of the Kalliopi Koufa Foundation consists of various academic experts on EU law (Professor Stagkos), on International Investment Law (Professor Glavinis), on European History (Professor Stefanides), as well as this Project’s Coordinator, who has published extensively on the question of IO responsibility, particularly UN and EU responsibility for human rights violations.
Last but not least, the Foundation has forged relations with the Thessaloniki, as well as the Thessaloniki Municipality, other research centers in Greece and abroad, the Chamber of Commerce and of Industry in Thessaloniki and with NGOs working with vulnerable groups such as refugees or Roma people. These relations will be used for the project to reach a wider audience and combine the academic expertise with a strong educational framework, where specialized audiences, such as lawyers, civil servants, media representatives, policy makers and civil society actors can benefit from a more systematic understanding of the notion of EU accountability, the ways to effectively invoke it and the limitations of the EU competences and powers.