Spotlight on our Alumni -

Vicki Kuczer

Vicki Kuczer

Class of 2000

I am an MGC alumnus (graduating year 2000).  In October-November 2015 I spent 5 weeks in New York negotiating on behalf of Australia at the United Nations (UN) on human rights issues.  That’s me in the photo delivering or national statement to the General Assembly’s Third Committee.  How did I get there? 

After high school I moved to Canberra to study at the Australian National University (ANU), where I completed a Law Degree and an Arts Degree with First Class Honours.  My goal was always to work in human rights and with the multilateral system (i.e. with the UN), so throughout my studies I looked for ways to engage with these issues.  I won a University Prize for my honours thesis which looked at the historical relationship between the UN and the USA.  That’s months of my life sitting in library basements which I’ll never get back, but it’s stood me in good stead as I moved into my professional life.

After University I worked in research for the ANU before moving into the federal Public Service.  I worked for a few years for the Attorney-General’s Department in national security, human rights and international law.  It was a great introduction to working for Government and a good way to develop my interests and academic background into professional expertise.

I moved to AusAID to work on the Australian aid program.  It was a great move.  Working on the aid program I influenced program and policy development, travelled to a dozen or so countries conducting interviews, monitoring and evaluation, and organised major events.  Again I looked for ways to apply my interests and expertise, and I ended up developing a policy to bring a major aid program into compliance with Australia’s human rights obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

After the 2013 election AusAID was merged into the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT), and I’ve been working here ever since.  I’m now based in DFAT’s Human Rights Branch.  My team leads Australia’s engagement with the international human rights system, including the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and the UN General Assembly Third Committee which meets once annually in New York.  And that’s how I go to New York.

I really enjoy my job, even though it’s very challenging, both professionally and personally.  The hours are long, the responsibilities are large, and being a public servant can be complex, but the opportunity to be at the forefront of Australia’s international human rights engagement is amazing.  I’ll keep doing this work for as long as I can!

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