Pieter Hendrik "Peter" Kooijmans (Dutch pronunciation:[ˈpitərˈɦɛndrɪkˈpeːtərˈkoːimɑns]; 6 July 1933 – 13 February 2013) was a Dutch politician, jurist, and diplomat. He was a member of the defunct Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP), which later merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party. From 1993 to 1994, he served as Foreign Minister of the Netherlands, succeeding Hans van den Broek. In 1995, he returned to his former position as Professor of Public International Law at the University of Leiden, serving until his appointment to the International Court of Justice. He was granted the honorary title of Minister of State on 13 July 2007.[1]
Early life and education
Pieter Hendrik Kooijmans was born on 6 July 1933 in Heemstede in the Netherlands. His father was Johannes Kooijmans, an engineer and a member of the municipal council of Heemstede, and his mother was Alida Jonker.[2]
Kooijmans went to the secondary school Eerste Christelijk Lyceum in Haarlem, where he followed the gymnasium program in humanities.
Following graduation, Kooijmans joined the University's faculty as Professor of Public International Law and European Law, from 20 February 1964 until 11 May 1973. In 1976 and again in 1991, he served as a lecturer at The Hague Academy of International Law. From 1978 to 1992, he served as a Professor of Public International Law at the University of Leiden.
He served in the Dutch Foreign Ministry as State Secretary for Foreign Affairs from 1973 to 1977. After the election of 1972 Kooijmans was appointed as State Secretary for Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet Den Uyl until 19 December 1977. The Cabinet Den Uyl fell on 22 March 1977 after four years of tensions in the coalition and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity. In May 1977 Kooijmans announced that he wouldn't stand for the election of 1977. Following the cabinet formation of 1977 Kooijmans was not giving a cabinet post in the new cabinet, the Cabinet Den Uyl was replaced by the Cabinet Van Agt–Wiegel on 19 December 1977.