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“Frans Bouwen’s life and work stand as a testament to the power of dialogue”, said WCC programme director for Life, Justice, and Peace Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata. “He was an influential bridge-builder whose legacy will continue to shape international cooperation”, he added.
Bouwen was born in 1954 in Buren, The Netherlands. He belonged to the Netherlands Reformed Church.
He studied theology at the Leiden State University from 1974 to 1982 and also graduated from the WCC Ecumenical Institute, Bossey in 1979/80.
Bouwen started to serve the WCC in 1987 as consultant for unit II of CCIA. In 1988, he left the Council to take a position at the Conference of European Churches’ Working Group on Asylum and Refugees.
From 1984 to 1987, he served as Executive Secretary of the Netherland’s Council of Churches’s special working group on Israel and Palestine.
He left Switzerland in 1994, to go back to the Netherlands.
Frans Bouwen founded and served as director responsible for External Relations at the international foundation The Hague Process on Refugees and Migration in 2000, a catalyst and stimulator for the development of innovative refugee and migration approaches.
Since February 2015, Mr. Bouwen has served as a Senior Advisor to The Hague Institute for Global Justice. His work focuses on issues related to cities and conflict prevention.
Across these roles, Bouwen was known for his calm authority, intellectual rigor, and ability to create inclusive spaces for dialogue on complex and often contentious issues.
Bouwen is survived by his two daughters and one grandson.
