Member

Gina Barbieri manages the World Bank Groups’ private sector mediation unit (CAO) and is a South African human rights lawyer, international mediator and dispute resolution professional. Managing this function entails managing the mediation of complex environmental and social disputes between communities and the private sector across the globe. Before joining the CAO, Gina founded and managed a legal practice in South Africa specializing in mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). She has mediated numerous disputes in the employment, commercial and community arena and is the author of two books on labor practice in the public and private sector. Gina co-authored and edited two IFC publications on the establishment of ADR Centers in emerging markets and guidelines on the practice of ADR. She is a co-founder of the African Institute for Mediation, served as the Deputy Head of the Africa Center for Dispute Settlement, Stellenbosch University Business School, and sat on the steering committee for the establishment of the African Mediation Association. Gina is also piloting a voluntary initiative training women community leaders mediation skills using online training platforms. She obtained her BComm LLB from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and is a CEDR (UK) and IMI accredited international mediator.

Gina Barbieri (BComm LLB) is a practising attorney specialising in the area of mediation and conflict resolution. She is the sole proprietor of Gina Barbieri Attorneys and offers mediation, arbitration, dispute systems design and training services. She is a CEDR qualified international commercial mediator. She is a consultant to the International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group), assisting in the development of its ADR product which focuses on establishing commercial mediation centers in emerging markets. She is also a member of the IFC's ADR global product development team. 

Passionate about mediation and ADR in Africa, Gina co-founded the African Initiative for Mediation, a non-profit organisation which has now been incorporated into the Africa Centre for Dispute Settlement at the University of Stellenbosch's Business School. She is currently the Deputy Head of the Centre. Gina also serves on the African Advisory Council for the Vital Voices Global Partnership based in Washington DC. She has trained a number of women parliamentarians from Africa on conflict resolution for Vital Voices. 

Recognising the need for a pan-African network of ADR practitioners, Gina currently serves on the steering committee of the African Mediation Association (AfMA).