In October 2002, then UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, appointed Eveline Herfkens as coordinator for the Millennium Development Goals Campaign. Prior to this appointment, Ms. Herfkens served as the Netherlands Minister for Development Cooperation (between 1998 and 2002). During this time, she was also a Member of the World Bank and IMF Development Committee and a Co-founder of the Utstein-Group. Presently she is a member of the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization established by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in February 2002.

Ms. Herfkens served as Ambassador/Permanent Representative of the Netherlands at the United Nations and other international organizations—including the World Trade Organization (WTO)—in Geneva (between 1996 and 1998). Ms. Herfkens was an Executive Director of the World Bank Group in Washington D.C. (between 1990 and 1996).

Ms. Herfkens was a Member of Parliament in the Netherlands (between 1981 and 1990). She served as Member and Counselor-Treasurer of Parliamentarians for Global Action (between 1985 and 1990). She was also a Member of the Economic Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and Co-organizer of the North-South Campaign. Ms. Herfkens was a Policy Officer in the field of development cooperation at the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs (between 1976 and 1981).

Ms. Herfkens has also served on the Council of the Labour Party. She has been Chair of the Evert Vermeer Foundation, Chair of the Dutch Fair Trade Organization and a Member of the Development Committee of the Netherlands Council of Churches.

Ms. Herfkens studied Law and Economics at Leiden University and graduated in 1975.