Ben Knapen is the Minister for European Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. He began his career as a history teacher in 1976 before working as a journalist for the NRC Handelsblad newspaper and NOS news. Knapen has been supervisory director at Goede Doelen N.V. and a member of the executive committee of Vereniging AEGON, the supervisory board of the KRO broadcasting company and the Advisory Council on International Affairs.