Eveline Herfkens was a Member of the Dutch Parliament (1981-1990); member of the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank Group (1990-1996); Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Netherlands in Geneva (1996-1998), and the Dutch Minister for Development Cooperation (1998-2002).

Between 2002 and 2008 Ms Herfkens was Founder and Executive Coordinator for the Millennium Development Goals Campaign, appointed by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. She also was a member of the ILO World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization and the ILO/WHO Social Protection Floor Advisory Group. Over her long career, Ms Herfkens has authored many articles and op-eds on aid, trade, and development. Presently she is the Vice Chair of the Board of the African Center for Economic Transformation.