About Us

Dilek Barlas

Executive Secretary
Dilek Barlas

Dilek Barlas has served as the Executive Secretary of the Inspection Panel since July 2014.  In her capacity as the Executive Secretary, Ms. Barlas provides strategic support and advice to the Panel Chair and Panel members; manages the Panel’s Secretariat, its staff, consultants and resources; and maintains the Panel's relations with internal stakeholders (the Board of Executive Directors, its committees, World Bank senior management and staff) as well as external ones (Requesters, civil society organizations, academia and the media). Ms. Barlas was the Panel’s Deputy Executive Secretary from 2007 to 2014.

A Turkish national, Ms. Barlas has extensive experience in the field of development. A lawyer by training, she joined the World Bank in 1992 and served as the Senior Counsel in the World Bank Legal Vice Presidency for the Europe and Central Asia Region. As Senior Counsel Ms. Barlas was responsible for the legal aspects of World Bank operations and conducted negotiations in numerous countries, including Albania, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Turkey. Her work also included an overseas field assignment to the World Bank Office in Ankara, Turkey, from 2004 to 2006. Prior to joining the World Bank, Ms. Barlas served with the Under Secretariat of Treasury and Foreign Trade of Turkey and played a critical role in the preparation of Turkey’s anti-dumping and subsidies legislation. Her private law practice includes work as an associate with White and Case in their Washington, D.C., office. Ms. Barlas holds a law degree from the University of Ankara, Turkey, and an LLM in International Legal Studies from the Washington College of Law at American University, Washington, D.C.