Brussels, 25/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - Nils Muiznieks (Latvia) was elected the third Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights by the Organisation's Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) at its plenary session in Strasbourg on Tuesday 24 January. He obtained 120 of the votes cast in the first round, an absolute majority. Frans Timmermans (Netherlands) obtained 92 votes and Pierre-Yves Monette (Belgium) 27. Muiznieks, who is currently Director of the Advanced Social and Political Research Institute (ASPRI) at the Faculty of Social Sciences in Riga and previously held the post of Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Affairs in the Latvian Government (2002-2004), won an absolute majority in a contest in which the Dutch candidate campaigned actively. Muiznieks succeeds Thomas Hammarberg of Sweden at the head of the human rights wing, designed as an independent, non-judicial institution responsible for promoting awareness of fundamental rights in the 47 member states of the Council of Europe. Muiznieks, who was elected for a non-renewable term of six years, will take office on 1st April 2012. He will make regular visits to the member states to engage in dialogue with governments and civil society and draw up reports on issues falling within his mandate. (VL/transl.rt)