A lawyer by training and a diplomat by choice, Wirajuda has held several important posts including Director-General of Political Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (July 2000 – August 2001), Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva (December 1998 – July 2000), Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Egypt (October 1997 – December 1998), and Director of International Organizations of the Department of Foreign Affairs (1993–1997).[1]
On 6 February 2009, Wirajuda criticized Myanmar for their abuse of Rohingya people, after nearly 400 Rohingya refugees were rescued off the coast of Sumatra in the first month of 2009.[2]
Wirajuda was the proponent of the ASEAN Political and Security Community (of the three pillars of the ASEAN Community) with core values in the promotion of democracy, respect for human rights, good governance, and the establishment of an ASEAN Human Rights body which would later become the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR).[4] He actively championed a more inclusive and balanced East Asia, as reflected by the first East Asia Summit of 16 member states in 2005.
On 22 October 2009, Marty Natalegawa was appointed foreign minister.
Since 2023, Wirajuda is serving as chairman of the Study Centre on Indonesian Nationhood (PSKI) and dean at the School of Law and International Studies at Prasetiya Mulya University.[4]