Ben Bot facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ben Bot
Bot in 2007
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 3 December 2003 – 22 February 2007
Prime Minister	Jan Peter Balkenende
Preceded by	Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
Succeeded by	Maxime Verhagen
Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the European Union
In office 1 October 1992 – 1 January 2003
Preceded by	Unknown
Succeeded by	Tom de Bruijn
Ambassador of the Netherlands to Turkey
In office 1 January 1986 – 1 January 1989
Preceded by	Unknown
Succeeded by	Unknown
Deputy Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to NATO
In office 1 January 1982 – 1 January 1986
Preceded by	Unknown
Succeeded by	Unknown
Ambassador of the Netherlands to East Germany
In office 30 January 1973 – 15 December 1976
Preceded by	New title
Succeeded by	Unknown
Personal details
Born	Bernard Rudolf Bot (1937-11-21) 21 November 1937 (age 87) Batavia, Dutch East Indies
Nationality	Dutch
Political party	Christian Democratic Appeal (from 1980)
Other political affiliations	Catholic People's Party (until 1980)
Domestic partners	Sybilla Dekker (since 2008)
Children	3 children
Parent	Theo Bot (father)
Residences	The Hague, Netherlands
Alma mater	Leiden University (Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws, Doctor of Philosophy) Harvard University (Juris Doctor, Master of Laws)
Occupation	Politician diplomat civil servant nonprofit director lobbyist

Bernard Rudolf "Ben" Bot (born 21 November 1937) is a Dutch politician and diplomat who is now retired. He was a member of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) political party. From 2003 to 2007, he served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This important role meant he was the Netherlands' main representative to other countries. He worked under Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende. Before becoming a minister, Ben Bot had a long career as an ambassador, representing his country around the world.

Early Life and School Days

Ben Bot was born in Batavia, which is now Jakarta, Indonesia. At that time, it was known as the Dutch East Indies. His father, Theo Bot, was also a minister in the Dutch government. He worked in education and development.

Ben Bot went to Leiden University in the Netherlands. There, he studied law and earned advanced degrees. He also attended Harvard Law School in the United States. This helped him prepare for a career in international relations.

A Career in Diplomacy

Ben Bot spent many years working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is the part of the government that handles relationships with other countries.

Early Diplomatic Roles

From 1963 to 2002, he worked in various places.

• He was part of the Dutch team at the European Community from 1964 to 1970. This group later became the European Union.
• He also worked at the Dutch embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
• Later, he served at the embassy in East Berlin, in what was then East Germany.

After working abroad, he returned to the Netherlands. From 1976 to 1982, he worked at the Ministry in The Hague. Then, he became the Deputy Permanent Representative for the Netherlands at NATO in Brussels. NATO is a military alliance between many countries.

Ambassador and EU Representative

From 1986 to 1989, Ben Bot was the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Turkey. An ambassador is the highest-ranking diplomat representing their country in another nation.

After this, he became the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is a very senior position within the ministry. In 1992, he was appointed as the Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the European Union in Brussels. He held this important job for 10 years, which is a long time for such a role.

Ben Bot with then United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in 2006.

Ben Bot with then French Minister of the Interior Nicolas Sarkozy in 2006.

Serving as Foreign Minister

On 3 December 2003, Ben Bot took on an even bigger role. He became the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He replaced Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, who left to become the leader of NATO.

As Foreign Minister, Ben Bot was responsible for the Netherlands' foreign policy. This means he helped decide how the Netherlands would interact with other countries. He was a member of the Christen Democratisch Appèl (CDA) party. He served in this role until February 2007. After that, Maxime Verhagen became the new Foreign Minister.

Views on World Events

As Foreign Minister, Ben Bot often shared his views on important world events.

The 2006 Lebanon War

He spoke about the 2006 Lebanon War. He understood why Israel reacted, but he also worried about civilians. He said it would be hard to support Israel if many innocent people were hurt.

Views on the Iraq War

In 2007, Ben Bot was interviewed by a newspaper. He said that the 2003 invasion of Iraq was a mistake. He mentioned that he had to change his public opinion in 2005. This was because of strong pressure from Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende. The Prime Minister later said he would have asked Bot to resign if he hadn't changed his view.

Current Activities

Even after leaving government, Ben Bot remains active. He is a partner at a consulting group. He also holds several public positions. For example, he is the President of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy. He is also the Chairman of the Board of the Clingendael Institute. These roles show his continued interest in international relations and democracy.

Awards and Honors

Ben Bot has received several awards for his service. These honors come from the Netherlands and other countries. They recognize his important work as a diplomat and politician.

Honours
Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
	Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau	Netherlands	10 December 1985
	Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion	Netherlands	30 April 1993
	Silver Medal of Honor of the Order of the Three Stars	Latvia	2008
	Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit	Poland	29 June 2012