- Born on 5 February 1931 in Utrecht, Netherlands

- Nationality: Dutch

- Official in the Netherlands Foreign Ministry (1957‒1977)

- Member of the House of Representatives (1977‒1978)

- State Secretary for Defence (1978‒1981)

- Member of the House of Representatives (1981‒1982)

- Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (1981‒1982)

- Member of the Assembly of Western European Union (1981‒1982)

- State Secretary for Foreign Affairs (1982‒1986)

- Member of the House of Representatives (1986)

- Minister for Defence (1986‒1988)

- Secretary-General of Western European Union (1989‒1994)

- Member of the Senate (1995‒2003)