Jan Kleijssen was born in 1958 in Almelo (The Netherlands). He studied International Law at Utrecht State University (LLM in 1981) and International Affairs at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University, Ottawa (MA 1982).

He joined the Council of Europe in 1983 as a Lawyer with the European Commission of Human Rights. Having served as Director of the Secretary General's Private Office and as the Special Adviser to the President of the Parliamentary Assembly, he is currently the Director of Information Society and Action against Crime, Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law, of the Council of Europe. This Directorate carries out standard-setting, monitoring and co-operation activities on a wide variety of issues, including:

• Freedom of expression
• Data protection
• Internet governance
• Cybercrime
• Criminal law
• Fighting corruption and money laundering
• Action against drug trafficking/drug abuse

• “Una Internet Centrada en los Derechos Humanos y en las Personas – La perspectiva del Consejo de Europa ” Nueva Revista N° 145, November 2013
• “Council of Europe standard-setting in the human rights field”, Netherlands Magazine for Human Rights/NJCM Bulletin, November/December 2010

• “Protecting Internet freedom – A pressing challenge” in ‘Synergy Magazine’ of the European Law Students’ Association, n° 52  II-2012 

• “No Peace without Human Rights: The Council of Europe and Conflict Prevention”, in: “The European Union and Conflict Prevention”, by T.M.C. Asser Press (Editors V. Kronenberger and J. Wouters) October 2004
• “International Human Rights Monitoring Mechanisms” Essays in honour of Jakob Th. Möller, The Raoul Wallenberg Institute Human Rights Library, volume 7 (2001)
• “Political monitoring of obligations within the Council of Europe”, Netherlands Magazine for Human Rights/NJCM Bulletin, July/August 1997
• Regular contributions (5-6 times per year) to ‘Nederlands Juristenblad’ (Netherlands Law Gazette) on Commission case-law (1983-1987)
• “International security and national interests: a conceptual analysis”, ‘International Spectator’, June 1983, vol XXXVIII, n° 6