Jaap de Hoop Scheffer Facts for Kids

In this article, the family name is de Hoop Scheffer, not Scheffer.

Quick facts for kids Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
De Hoop Scheffer in 2005

11th Secretary General of NATO
In office 1 January 2004 – 1 August 2009
Preceded by	Alessandro Minuto-Rizzo (acting)
Succeeded by	Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 22 July 2002 – 3 December 2003
Prime Minister	Jan Peter Balkenende
Preceded by	Jozias van Aartsen
Succeeded by	Ben Bot
Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal
In office 27 March 1997 – 1 October 2001
Preceded by	Enneüs Heerma
Succeeded by	Jan Peter Balkenende
Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal in the House of Representatives
In office 27 March 1997 – 1 October 2001
Preceded by	Enneüs Heerma
Succeeded by	Jan Peter Balkenende
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 3 June 1986 – 23 May 2002

Personal details
Born	Jakob Gijsbert de Hoop Scheffer (1948-04-03) 3 April 1948 (age 77) Amsterdam, Netherlands
Political party	Christian Democratic Appeal (since 1982)
Other political affiliations	Democrats 66 (1979–1982)
Spouse	Jeannine van Oorschot (m. 1979)
Children	2 daughters
Residence	The Hague
Alma mater	Leiden University (LL.B., LL.M.)
Occupation	Politician diplomat civil servant jurist corporate director nonprofit director lobbyist professor
Military service
Allegiance	Netherlands
Branch/service	Royal Netherlands Air Force
Years of service	1974–1976 (Conscription) 1976–1978 (Reserve)
Rank	Second lieutenant
Battles/wars	Cold War

Jakob Gijsbert "Jaap" de Hoop Scheffer (born 3 April 1948) is a Dutch politician, lawyer, and diplomat. He is best known for being the eleventh Secretary General of NATO from 2004 to 2009. Before that, he served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Netherlands from 2002 to 2003. He was also the leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) political party from 1997 to 2001.

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer's Journey
Honours and Awards
Images for kids
See also

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer's Journey

Early Life and Education

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He went to the Ignatius Gymnasium in Amsterdam. After high school, he studied law at Leiden University. He earned both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in law.

After his studies, he joined the Royal Netherlands Air Force for his military service. He served as a Second lieutenant from 1974 to 1976.

Starting a Career in Diplomacy

After his military service, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer became a civil servant and diplomat. He worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His work took him to different countries. He was an attaché in Accra, Ghana, and later worked for the NATO delegation in Brussels, Belgium. He also served as a secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Entering Politics

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer first joined the Democrats 66 (D66) party in 1979. Later, in 1982, he became a member of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

In 1986, he was elected to the House of Representatives, which is part of the Dutch parliament. As a Member of Parliament, he focused on foreign affairs and European issues. He chaired important committees related to international cooperation.

Leading the Christian Democratic Appeal Party

In 1997, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer became the leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party. He also became the party's leader in the House of Representatives. He led the party in the 1998 general election. He stepped down from his leadership roles in 2001.

Serving as Dutch Foreign Minister

After the 2002 elections, the CDA party played a big role in forming a new government. The new Prime Minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, appointed Jaap de Hoop Scheffer as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He held this important position from July 2002 to December 2003.

During his time as Foreign Minister, the Netherlands decided to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. This meant sending Dutch servicemen to Iraq to help with stabilization efforts.

Leading NATO

On 5 January 2004, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer became the 11th Secretary General of NATO. NATO is a military alliance of countries that work together for security. As Secretary General, he encouraged NATO members to contribute more to important operations, like the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

He also spoke about the need for NATO troops to protect important energy routes, like pipelines and sea lanes used by oil tankers. In 2007, he visited Canada and urged them to continue their military mission in Afghanistan. He believed more time was needed for reconstruction and development there.

In July 2009, he had a heart attack but recovered well. His term as NATO Secretary General ended on 1 August 2009, and Anders Fogh Rasmussen took over.

After Political Life

After leaving active politics, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer continued to be involved in public life. In 2009, he became a professor at Leiden University, teaching about peace, law, and security. He also served on the boards of various organizations, including Air France–KLM.

He continues to speak about important global issues, such as strengthening cooperation between European countries and improving relations between Europe and the United States. In 2018, he was given the honorary title of Minister of State.

Honours and Awards

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has received many awards and honours from different countries for his work. Some of these include:

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau (Netherlands)
Member 1st Class of the Order of the Balkan Mountains (Bulgaria)
Recipient of the Grand Order of King Tomislav (Croatia)
Member 1st Class of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (Estonia)
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Italy)
Grand Officer of the Order of the Three Stars (Latvia)
Grand Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great (Lithuania)
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (Poland)
Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania (Romania)
Member 1st Class of the Order of the White Double Cross (Slovakia)
Recipient of the Order for Exceptional Merits (Slovenia)
Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (United Kingdom)

Images for kids

Secretary General of NATO Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and United States Secretary of State Colin Powell during a press conference in 2004
Secretary General of NATO Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan during the Munich Security Conference of 2005
Secretary General of NATO Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel during a meeting at the Munich Security Conference of 2006
Secretary General of NATO Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and President of the United States George W. Bush during a meeting in the Oval Office in 2006
Secretary General of NATO Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and President of Russia Vladimir Putin during a meeting at the 2008 Bucharest summit in 2008
Secretary General of NATO Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and President of the United States Barack Obama during a meeting in the Oval Office in 2009