On 10 December 2025, an online awareness-raising event was held for MFA employees on the rights of persons with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses in the workplace. The event was co-organised by the Office of the Secretary General / Unit for Equality and the Hellenic Diplomatic Academy. Its purpose was to highlight the crucial role of both the administration and staff in shaping a workplace environment that promotes the equal participation of persons with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses, as well as the importance of appropriate accommodations that support and empower their professional life.
The Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Teresa-Paraskevi Angelatou, offered opening remarks, underlining the steps taken so far, while also acknowledging the need for further action. The discussion began with contributions from two representatives of the German Federal Foreign Office: Ms. Katharina Schuster, Policy Officer for Inclusion Issues, Division for Gender Equity & Diversity, and Ms. Lydia Sasnovskis, Deputy Disability Representative, Co-Founder of the Employee Inclusion Network. Both emphasised the pressing need for fully accessible and welcoming workplaces, while also sharing personal examples and experiences. Ms. Antonia Pavli, Senior Researcher at the Disability Observatory of the National Confederation of Disabled People (ESAmeA), clarified key concepts related to accessibility, inclusive design, and reasonable accommodations in the workplace. Mr. Georgios Kyriakopoulos, Director for Strategic and Operational Planning at the MFA, referred to the Ministry’s targeted initiatives on physical and digital accessibility, as well as the MFA’s international initiatives on issues relating to the rights of persons with disabilities.
This event was a reminder that disability must be approached holistically, beyond the narrow dimension of mobility challenges and beyond visible disabilities. Not as an exception, but as an integral part of the normality we must ensure for everyone: employees, colleagues, citizens, and the public served by our consular authorities.
More than 80 Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ personnel from Headquarters and from Missions Abroad attended the event. The discussion was moderated by Ms. Natalia Panourgia, Head of the Equality Unit.
December 15, 2025