While in that position, Rotfeld established the Warsaw Reflection Group on the UN Reform and the Transformation of the Euro-Atlantic Security Institutions, with participation from leading US and European experts and politicians.

He wrote his PhD dissertation on the right of self-determination of people in modern international law at the Jagiellonian University, Kraków which he defended in 1969.

After 1989, he has served as leader of the Project on Building a Co–operative Security System in and for Europe at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

His work initially focused on the legal and political aspect of relations between Germany and Central and East European states after World War II (recognition of borders, the Munich Agreement and the right of self-determination) and multilateral process of security and cooperation in Europe initiated by the Helsinki Accords, as well as arms control and non-proliferation.

He initiated the Warsaw Reflection Group (2004) and chaired the series of reports on the UN reform, multilateral European security institutions and on arms control, non-proliferation and denuclearization.

Since 2008, former Foreign Minister Rotfeld has been Co-Chairing the Polish-Russian Group For Difficult Issues, in particular the Katyn massacre, together with Rector of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University), Anatoly V. Torkunov.

As former Polish minister for integration, in 2012 signed the Soros' open letter calling for more Europe in the single currency turmoil.