Dr Bärbel Kofler (SPD) holds the position of Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development. Before being appointed to this role in December 2016, she was the Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid for five years. She has been a member of the German Bundestag since 2004, where her previous roles included Development Policy Spokesperson of the SPD parliamentary group and member of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Dr Kofler has a doctorate in linguistics.
