by Ibrahim Sabra
Continuing its successful “Jour Fixe” series, and marking its first session in English, Ars Iuris invited its Fellows to offer a window into the practical realities of distinguished careers at the intersection of law, diplomacy, and international affairs. The guest on this occasion was Prof. Helmut Tichy, retired Ambassador and longtime Head of the International Law Office at the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs. The discussion, moderated by Paulina Rundel and Silke Schusser, and the Q&A session that followed, offered an uncommonly candid account of a career shaped by legal rigour, diplomatic instinct, and a consistent commitment to the most pressing challenges of international law.
Prof. Tichy traced his path back to its academic origins: a position as research assistant at the Institute for Constitutional and Administrative Law at the University of Vienna under the eminent Robert Walter. It was here, he recounted, that a paper on constitutional law caught the attention of members of the foreign affairs selection committee, an unexpected turn that opened the door to his entry into the Ministry. The anecdote was a quiet reminder of how intellectual seriousness, even in its earliest forms, can carry a career forward in ways one cannot anticipate.
His subsequent studies at the University of Cambridge left a lasting impression. Prof. Tichy reflected on how immersion in the common law system fundamentally broadened his legal thinking, sharpening his appreciation for case law and the gradual, living evolution of law through judicial precedent, a perspective that would prove valuable throughout his later work in international legal bodies.
Rather than seeking positions of comfort, Prof. Tichy described a deliberate commitment to engaging with complex topics and pursuing unorthodox missions throughout his career. He sought out postings in countries marked by tension, such as Serbia in the mid-1980s, convinced that it is precisely in such contexts that law and diplomacy can can actively help resolve conflict. This same disposition led him to serve as Deputy Head of the Vienna Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) from 1988 to 1990, an experience he described as an opportunity to engage directly with vulnerable communities and contribute positively in one of the most delicate areas of humanitarian work.
From 2010 until his retirement in March 2023, Prof. Tichy served as Head of the International Law Office at the Austrian Foreign Ministry, where he was responsible for international law, human rights law and policy, European law, and their domestic implementation. Among the professional highlights he shared was his experience representing Austria before the International Court of Justice in the proceedings concerning Kosovo’s declaration of independence, a moment he described as one of the most fulfilling of his career as a laywer, pleading before the highest court in the international legal order.
Prof. Tichy also drew a nuanced distinction between the diplomatic and the legal roles within foreign affairs: where the diplomat must weigh positions, relationships, and political sensitivity, the legal adviser tends toward a more abstract, textual assessment of obligations and rights. Navigating, and at times bridging, these two modes of thinking, he suggested, had been one of the enduring challenges and rewards of his professional life.
Looking to Austria’s future role on the international stage, Prof. Tichy struck a notably forward-leaning note. He emphasised that Austria should move beyond a passive interpretation of its neutrality and assume a more active posture in mediating international conflicts, a role that its legal traditions, geographic position, and accumulated diplomatic experience make it well-placed to fulfil. This point took on particular resonance in light of Austria’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the term 2027–2028, an opportunity he clearly viewed not merely as a matter of prestige, but as a genuine call to engage more decisively with the architecture of international peace and security.
Since his retirement, Prof. Tichy has remained actively engaged as a member of GREVIO, the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence. He spoke with evident commitment about this work, emphasising the importance of engaging simultaneously with civil society and governments during country assessment visits in order to construct as objective a picture as possible of the situation on the ground. In parallel, he continues as a professor of international law and human rights law at the University of Graz and as a lecturer at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna.
The evening concluded with a lively Q&A, during which Prof. Tichy offered candid advice on preparing for the foreign affairs entrance examination and on the often-overlooked importance of maintaining work-life balance and strong personal partnerships when navigating a demanding career in international service.
We sincerely thank Prof. Helmut Tichy and all those present for their participation and look forward to the next event.
