On 9 May 2023, the Cabinet renewed the mandate of the Head of the Legal Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Kristīne Līce, to represent the interests of Latvia before international human rights organisations from 14 May 2023 to 13 May 2027.
This is Kristīne Līce’s fourth term in that office. She has been representing Latvia before international human rights institutions since 14 May 2012. Kristīne Līce also represented the Cabinet before international human rights organisations from September 2001 to October 2002.
Kristīne Līce has graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Latvia. In 1994, she began working for the diplomatic and consular service. Kristīne Līce went on to become Director of the Foreign Ministry’s Legal Department, served as Counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Latvia to UN in Geneva and New York and held the post of Counsellor at the Office of the Cabinet of Ministers Representative to International Human Rights Organisations. At present, Kristīne Līce is Head of the Legal Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From September 2007, she has held the post of Deputy Chair of the United Nations General Assembly Third Committee (Human Rights). Kristīne Līce has worked as lecturer at the Latvian Judicial Training Centre. From January to September 2016, Kristīne Līce was an expert in the EU Twinning project “Strengthening the Rule of Law” in North Macedonia. Kristīne Līce was a member of the Bureau of the Council of Europe Steering Committee for Human Rights until late 2021, and has been chairing the Bureau since December 2021, having become the first representative of the Baltic States to take up the position. She has been a rapporteur for the Council of Europe Steering Committee for Human Rights on the freedom of expression and the interaction of the European Court of Human Rights with the EU legal system, and since 2019, heading the working group of the Council of Europe Steering Committee for Human Rights that deals with interconnection between human rights and environmental law.
Kristīne Līce is fluent in English, Russian, and French.
Background information
The Representative of Latvia represents not only the interests of the Government but also those of the legislative and judiciary powers at international human rights institutions – the European Court of Human Rights and the supervisory mechanisms for the implementation of UN conventions. The Cabinet, upon the recommendations of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and endorsement of the Minister of Justice, grants the Representative a four-year mandate, which can be extended for an unlimited number of subsequent periods. The Representative’s operations are ensured by an office, which is a structural unit of the Foreign Ministry. The Representative’s work is supervised by the Foreign Minister, and the Representative submits an annual report on their work to the Cabinet.