Curriculum Vitae of Dr. RÉKA VARGA
Secretary General
PERSONAL DATA
Date and place of birth: 1977, Budapest
Marital status: married with three children
Nationality: Hungarian
EDUCATION
2013 Ph.D., Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Faculty of Law and Political Sciences
2007 Bar Exam
1998–2000 Universität Regensburg (Germany), legal studies
1995–2001 Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Law (degree obtained in 2001)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2019– Secretary General, Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights
2016–2019 Legal Adviser, Head of the International Law Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
of Hungary
2009–2016 international law adviser of the Director General, Hungarian Red Cross
2003– lecturer (2003 – 2010), senior lecturer (2010 – 2014), associate professor (since 2014)
Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Faculty of Law and Political Sciences,
Deparment of International Law
2001–2009 legal adviser, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES AND MEMBERSHIPS
2017– member of the International Institute for Humanitarian Law Sanremo (IIHL)
2016– member of the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission (IHFFC)
2016– member of the Hungarian National Group of the Permanent Court of Arbitration
2013– co-editor, then member of the editorial board of the Hungarian Yearbook of International Law and
European Law (published by Eleven International Publishing, the Hague)
2010 expert report for FIDH/REDRESS on legislation and practices related to the universal jurisdiction
of Central European states
2009–2010 Hungarian contribution to the ICRC Customary International Humanitarian Law Study
2004– co-director of the Vienna Course on International Law for Military Legal Advisers
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
2017 Certificate of Merit awarded by the Deputy Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
2014 Herczegh Géza Memorial Certificate for her Ph.D. thesis titled “Challenges of Domestic
Prosecution of War Crimes with Special Attention to Criminal Justice Guarantees”
2012 “Award for Activities in International Cooperation” awarded by the Hungarian Red Cross
LANGUAGE SKILLS
English proficient
German proficient
French basic
MAIN FIELDS OF RESEARCH
- international humanitarian law: domestic implementation, compliance with humanitarian law
- international criminal law: prosecution of war crimes before national courts
- state immunity
PUBLICATIONS
See Dr. Réka Varga’s list of publications on the official site of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences: www.mtmt.hu
ACADEMIC LECTURES
over 90 lectures delivered before domestic and international professional audiences in the following topics: international humanitarian law, international criminal law, state immunity in international law, sexual violence in times of armed conflict
Press releases
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Joint statement of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights and the Ombudsman for Future Generations on the Occasion of White Monday, the First Day of the European Week for Waste Reduction
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Exception Should Prove Dignity – Statement of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rigths on the Special Situation of Persons with Intellectual Disability and Autism Spectrum Disorder in Relation to the Restrictions Introduced in Response to the Pandemic
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Joint Statement of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights and His Deputies on the World Day of Sanitation
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Commissioner for Fundamental Rights Reviewed the Lawfulness of Proceedings Aimed at the Recovery of Unduly Claimed Benefits
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Ombudsman Takes a Stand on the Operation of the Heves County “Harmónia” United Social Care Institution
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Ombudsman Takes a Stand on a Foreclosure Procedure
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Commissioner for Fundamental Rights and Ombudsman for Future Generations Take a Stand on a Procedure related to a Residential Noise Complaint
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Commissioner for Fundamental Rights Takes a Stand in Relation to a Protracted Administrative Procedure
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Message of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights on World Children’s Day
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Commissioner for Fundamental Rights Takes a Stand on the Operation of Two Foster Homes
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Commissioner for Fundamental Rights Takes a Stand in Relation to a Public Interest Disclosure
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Commissioner for Fundamental Rights and Ombudsman for the Rights of National Minorities Take a Stand on the Procedure for the Assessment of Widowhood Pension
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Commissioner for Fundamental Rights and Ombudsman for Future Generations Take a Stand on the Legal Basis for the Obligation to Pay Waste Transport Fees
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Joint Statement of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights and the Ombudsman for Future Generations on the First International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste
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Personal Client Service
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The Message of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights on the Occasion of World Autism Awareness Day
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Message of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights on World Health Day
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Press Release of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights on Cervical Screening to Be Performed by Health Visitors
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Commissioner for Fundamental Rights Opens Systemic Inquiry in Relation to Family Tragedy in Győr Claiming the Life of Small Children
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The message of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights on Human Rights Day