Rees' publications include numerous books and over one hundred journal articles on social justice, health care and welfare services, critiques of free market economics, the human costs of management practices and the attributes of peace negotiations and humanitarianism in social policy.
Rees has been a human rights activist in several countries and his non-academic activities have included community development, probation services and social work in the UK and Canada; work with War on Poverty programs in the U.S.A.; and work with the Save the Children non-governmental organisation in India and Sri Lanka; co-architect of the West Papua Social Justice project; and co architect of the Sri Lankan project for the human rights of the Tamil minority.
His most recent discussion - 'War, Peace & Propaganda: John Pilger in conversation with Professor Stuart Rees'.
Rees is an active supporter of the worldwide Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement which promotes Palestinian peoples' rights to self-determination.
Rees has defended his efforts to convince the University of Sydney to sever ties with Israeli institutions.