Maria Telalian

Maria Telalian (Greece) is the ninth Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), appointed in December 2024.

Prior to her appointment, Telalian was a Legal Adviser of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Head of the Legal Department. She was also Head of the Public International Law Section of the Legal Department, and was appointed as Deputy Permanent Representative of Greece to the United Nations (UN) from 2005 to 2007.

She has also served as an agent before the International Court of Justice, a counsellor before the European Court of Human Rights, a member of the Panel of Arbitrators of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, and a representative to the Sixth Committee of the UN General Assembly. 

She is a former member of the Appeals Board of the Western European Union for the settlement of disputes arising out of the WEU Staff Rules. She also has several years of teaching experience at the Diplomatic Academy of the Greek Foreign Service and at the Rhodes Academy of Oceans Law and Policy.