Tjaco van den Hout is associated with an international group of consultants providing intelligence to the business community including political risk analysis. He lectures in public international law and international affairs and global studies.
Mr. van den Hout served as deputy secretary-general of the Netherlands foreign ministry from 1997 until 1999, and as secretary-general of the Permanent Court of Arbitration from 1999 until 2008. Upon his return to diplomatic service in 2008, he was appointed Netherlands ambassador to Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia and Laos - a post he held until the middle of 2011.
Since then he lives in Riga (Latvia) where his wife, Baiba Braze, serves as director general for security policy and international organizations at the Latvian foreign ministry.