The former Indonesia Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Hassan Wirajuda, will give a lecture under the heading “The Promotion of Human Rights in South East Asia” on Thursday 29 October at 14.00 in Beijing Conference Room at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law.
During his time in office from 2001 to 2009, Dr. Wirajuda initiated the establishment of the Bali Democracy Forum in 2008 and its implementing agency, the Institute for Peace and Democracy (IPD).
In an article with The Jakarta Post in 2014, Dr. Wirajuda highlighted how during his time in office, Indonesia had managed to plant the idea with members of ASEAN to develop an ASEAN Human Rights Body. The challenges as pointed out by the former Minister was however to translate the human rights principles into concrete action. According to Dr. Wirajuda, a successful implementation of human rights in South East Asia calls for an inclusive approach where civil society and government work together.
Dr. Wirajuda has a solid background in law, diplomacy and human rights, and extensive experience of negotiating international peace and reconciliation agreements as well as promoting regional nuclear disarmament. Dr. Wirajuda earned his Doctoral degree in Juridical Science in International Law from the University of Virginia School of Law, and he also holds degrees from Harvard University School of Law and the Fletcher School of law and diplomacy.