“on the fringe of our interests but in the centre of our principles”
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Joseph Luns
Joseph Marie Antoine Hubert Luns was a Dutch politician, diplomat and jurist who served as the fifth secretary general of NATO from 1971 to 1984, being the longest-serving officeholder since the office was established in 1952. Prior to this, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs, starting in 1956. Luns was a member of the now-defunct Catholic People's Party (KVP), later merged into the Christian Demo…
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politics · Dutch politician and diplomat (1911–2002) · politician · diplomat · foreign minister · minister · also Joseph Luns, Joseph Marie Antoine Hubert Luns, J. M. A. H. Luns, Luns
Born 28 August 1911 · Died 17 July 2002 · Q553882
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2026· 1 entry
2002· 1 entry
Died 2002-07-17.
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1986· 2 entries
Awarded Atatürk International Peace Prize (1986).
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Was awarded the Atatürk International Peace Prize
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1984· 2 entries
Won Presidential Medal of Freedom presented by Ronald Reagan (1984).
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Staying in office for almost 13 years, more than anyone else
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1982· 1 entry
Awarded Grand Cross of the Cross of Military Merit with White Decoration (1982).
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1979· 1 entry
“Archtype and Allegory in the Dream of the Red Chamber: A Critique”
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1971· 3 entries
Luns was appointed as NATO secretary-general
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Career landmark: Secretary General of NATO (1971–1984).
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Career landmark: member of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands (1971–1971).
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1968· 1 entry
The EEC Summit of The Hague, in December 1969, ended the long crisis of the EEC integration process, opened the way to British membership and agreed on new venues for political co-operation, a common market and monetary
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1967· 1 entry
Awarded Charlemagne Prize (1967).
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1963· 1 entry
After a short interim administration of the UN
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1960· 1 entry
It became obvious that allied support for this policy, particularly from the United States, was waning, Luns tried to find an intermediate solution by transferring the administration of the territory to the United Nation
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1957· 1 entry
Awarded Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Vasa (1957).
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1956· 1 entry
Career landmark: Minister of Foreign Affairs (1956–1971).
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1954· 1 entry
Member of Order of the Companions of Honour by Queen Elizabeth II in 1971 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom by then President Ronald Reagan in 1984
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1953· 1 entry
Awarded Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav (1953).
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1952· 1 entry
Luns expected to improve relations with Indonesia without transferring the disputed area of West New Guinea to the former colony
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1949· 1 entry
Luns was appointed as deputy Dutch permanent representative to the United Nations
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1943· 1 entry
Was transferred to the Dutch embassy in London
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1938· 1 entry
And, after a two-year assignment at the Private Office of the Foreign Minister, was appointed as attaché in Bern (Switzerland) in 1940
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1933· 1 entry
And left three years later but when questioned about it in later years, never admitted that it might have been "a youthful misjudgment"
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1911· 1 entry
Born 1911-08-28.
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