Urko Aiartza Azurtza
Urko Aiartza Azurtza assumed the role of Senior Advisor at the European Institute of Peace (EIP) in 2017. Hailing from the Basque Country, he previously served as a senator (2011-2015) in Madrid, where he held the position of Spokesperson in the Justice, Foreign Affairs, Iberoamerican, and Standing Senate Committees.
An esteemed member of the Gipuzkoa Bar, Urko has represented numerous human rights groups and individuals as a lawyer in national and international courts and institutions, which include the ECHR and UN. He also holds the position of Co-President of the European Lawyers for Democracy and Human Rights Association.
He was deeply committed to promoting peace in the Basque Country through extensive involvement. In recent years, he has been actively providing consultancy on peace and mediation to public and private international institutions in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
Since 2019, he has taken on the role of director at the Olaso Dorrea Foundation and its “TM eLab”, a centre for generating innovative ideas in the Basque Country, his birthplace and current residence.