Edy Korthals Altes

Edy J. Korthals Altes, (5 March 1924 – 25 December 2021) was a Dutch diplomat who, in 1986, resigned from his ambassador post in Madrid in connection with his public stand on the arms race. Altes was born in Vught, Netherlands on 5 March 1924. He studied economics at Erasmus University Rotterdam, and married Deetje Meijer in 1950. Altes died on 25 December 2021, at the age of 97.

Career in Foreign Service Served in New York; Colombo; Paris (Economic Committee of the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation) The Hague; Bonn (1962–1967) CounsellorPress/Cultural Affairs Rome (1967–1970) Counsellor Economic Affairs Djakarta (1970–1972) Minister Plenipotentiary-Deputy Head of Mission Brussels (1973–1977) Deputy Permanent Representative European Communities Warsaw (1977–1980) Ambassador; The Hague (1980–1982) Head of Foreign Service Madrid (1983–1986) Ambassador

Memberships After 1986, Edy Korthals Altes was an outspoken proponent of global peace and security, inter-religious cooperation, and spiritual renewal as vice chairman of the Dutch chapter of the Pugwash Movement (1987–1995), chairman of the Section International Affairs of the Netherlands Council of Churches (1990–1996), co-president of the European Ecumenical Commission on Development (1991–1993), Member EKD Advisory Commission for Development Affairs (1992–1997, Germany) and president of the World Conference of Religions for Peace (1994–1999, honorary president (1999–2004). He was latterly a fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science.