Vas Withanage

Vas is currently Director of the Development Partners Engagement Section, where he is responsible for outreach and engagement with development contractors and helping ensure the contractor market DFAT operates in is vibrant and competitive. Prior to this role, Vas was director of Human and Environmental Safeguards, responsible for ensuring a risk based approach to safeguarding the development program. Vas began his career in the public service at the Attorney-General’s Department, where he delivered a range of law and justice capacity building programs focusing on counter-terrorism and transnational crime across Southeast Asia and the Pacific. 

Prior to this, Vas worked in refugee law and advocacy at UNHCR in Australia and Thailand. Vas has a degree in Liberal Studies from the University of Sydney and a Juris Doctor in Law from the Australian National University.