Philipp Frisch

Philipp Frisch is the Director of Human Rights Watch Germany, based in Berlin. He joined the organization in May 2025, bringing with him over 15 years of experience in humanitarian advocacy and diplomacy.

Prior to joining Human Rights Watch, Philipp held several leadership roles at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), including Deputy Head of Humanitarian Diplomacy for MSF International and Head of the Berlin Advocacy Unit for MSF Germany. Since joining MSF in 2009, he has worked in different project countries, including assignments as Humanitarian Affairs Officer in Zimbabwe and Eswatini, and in humanitarian affairs roles in South Africa, Ethiopia (Tigray and Somali Region), Nigeria (Borno State), Ukraine, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Philipp also served as the Coordinator of MSF’s Access Campaign in Germany, focusing on improving access to essential medicines. Earlier in his career, he specialized in intellectual property rights and access to medicines, and co-authored a White Paper commissioned by the German Parliament on incentivizing medical research and development in the field of antimicrobial resistance.

He holds a Master’s degree in Political Science.