Jaap de Hoop Scheffer

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Jakob Gijsbert "Jaap" de Hoop Scheffer (/jɑːp də hoːp ˈsxɛfər/, born 3 April 1948) is a Dutch politician and the 11th NATO Secretary General.

Life and career

Born in Amsterdam, De Hoop Scheffer studied law at the University of Leiden. After completing military service in the air force, where he became a reserve officer, he worked for the ministry of foreign affairs from 1976 to 1986. For the first two years, he was stationed at the Dutch embassy in Ghana. After that, he worked at the Dutch delegation at NATO headquarters in Brussels until 1980.

Although he has been a member of the D'66 party, he became a member of the Christen-Democratisch Appèl (CDA) in 1982. At the elections of 1986, he was chosen in the Second Chamber of parliament. He was a spokesman on foreign affairs for his party. Between 1997 and 2001, he was the leader of the CDA delegation in the Second Chamber, at a time when the CDA was in opposition. This made him the party leader.

When the list of candidates for the 2002 elections was chosen, his position as the party leader of the CDA became uncertain. After a power struggle with the party chairman Van Rij, De Hoop Scheffer resigned as party leader. Jan Peter Balkenende succeeded him, and had the top spot on the CDA list of candidates in the elections on 15 May 2002.

Foreign Minister

The CDA won In those elections and played the leading role in the formation of a new coalition government. The new prime minister Balkenende appointed De Hoop Scheffer as foreign minister in his short-lived
first cabinet, a position he retained in the second Balkenende cabinet after the elections of 22 January 2003.In 2003, the foreign policy of the Netherlands was largely determined by De Hoop Scheffer and Balkenende. Its main foreign policy decision was to contribute to Operation Iraqi Freedom, although its formulation ("political" but not "military" support) gave it an ambivalent character. However, 1,100 Dutch servicemen were deployed as part of the Stabilisation Force Iraq in the southern province of Al Muthanna from 2003 till 2005, and two of them were killed in action.

In 2003 Jaap de Hoop Scheffer was also the Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

NATO Secretary General

He became the 11th NATO Secretary General on 5 January 2004, succeeding Lord Robertson, who held the post from 1999 until 2003. The announcement was made on 22 September 2003. [cite web|url=http://www.nato.int/docu/update/2004/01-january/e0105a.htm|title=New Secretary General takes up office|publisher=NATO|date=7 January 2004|accessdate=] As Secretary General, De Hoop Scheffer urged NATO members to contribute more to NATO operations such as the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3820979.stm|title=Nato boss pleads for Afghan focus|publisher=BBC|date=19 June 2004|accessdate=]

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer attended the economic conference in Montreal, Canada on 21 June 2007, where he encouraged Canada to continue its military mission in Afghanistan past its 2009 withdrawal date. He said, "I think more time is necessary to create those conditions for reconstruction and development to go on." [http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/06/21/scheffer-montreal-070621.html?ref=rss] His visit coincided with the death of three more Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan. "I know how dramatic it is if Canadian soldiers pay the highest price, but I still say, you are there for a good cause." [http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/06/21/scheffer-montreal-070621.html?ref=rss] De Hoop Scheffer's comments were made as the Canadian government was under pressure by opposition politicians to define the length of Canada's commitment to the mission in Afghanistan.

References

External links

* [http://www.nato.int/cv/secgen/scheffer-e.htm Biography] - NATO website
* [http://www.nato.int/docu/update/2004/01-january/e0105a.htm Appointment as Secretary General - NATO announcement]
* [http://www.nato.int/docu/review/2003/issue4/english/profile.html Profile of Jaap de Hoop Scheffer] - by journalist Robert van de Roer, NATO website