16/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - Barbara Lochbihler elected chair of human rights sub-committee. At the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Thursday 15 September, Barbara Lochbihler (Greens/EFA, Germany) was elected by acclamation as the new chairwoman of the human rights sub-committee. She takes over from Finnish Green MEP Heidi Hautala, who resigned in June to become Finland's minister for development. “There is a clear lack of co-ordination of human rights activities, not only within the European Parliament, but also with regard to the human rights activities of the Commission and the Council”, said Lochbihler, who is also the chair of the EP delegation for the relations with Iran. “The ongoing international discussions on the death penalty, torture, discrimination, the rule of law, the fight against impunity, social, cultural and economic rights are a clear signal that there is practically no field in human life that is not related to human rights and democratic freedom”, she added. Before her election to the European Parliament, Lochbihler was Amnesty International's secretary-general in Germany. (OL/transl.rt)