Dr Andrew Forde is Assistant Professor of European Human Rights Law at Dublin City University (DCU) and Commissioner on the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) since 2023. Over the past 20 years he has worked for the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe including as Human Rights Advisor to the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights and Political Advisor with a particular focus on human rights in conflict zones. During this time he led Council of Europe operations in Kosovo for 5 years as well as confidence-building measures in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He spent six years as a Principal Officer in the Irish civil service before becoming a full-time academic. He is a member of Ireland's election observation roster and on the Advisory Board of the Campaign to Uphold Rights in Europe. His first book European Human Rights Grey Zones - The Council of Europe and Areas of Conflict was published in 2024 by Cambridge University Press and his second, co-authored book on Russia's relationship with the Council of Europe was published in February 2025. Dr Forde is currently a member of IHREC's Policy and Research Committee and the Commission Reform Working Group.