Strasbourg, France - Thorbjorn Jagland, a former prime minister of Norway, was elected Tuesday to the post of Secretary General of the Council of Europe, a 60-year-old organization which seeks to foster greater European integration and uphold human rights. Jagland defeated rival candidate Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz of Poland in a vote by the council's parliamentary assembly.
Born on November 5, 1950, Jagland is a member of the Norwegian Labour Party. He also served as foreign minister and currently acts as president of the Storting, the Norwegian parliament.
The new secretary general replaces the current chief, Terry Davis of Britain.
Founded in 1949, the Council of Europe has 47 European member states, including Russia, Turkey and Azerbaijan.
The organization seeks to enforce human rights through its European Court of Human Rights and is separate from the European Union.
