Barbara Contini (born 22 September 1961) is an Italian politician and an official of international organisations expert on international politics and security.

Contini was born in Milan. She earned two BA in Political science and Japanese language at the University of Naples Federico II, then she obtained a master's degree in Business Management and Administration and several advanced courses in peacekeeping, crisis situations, humanitarian operations.

From 2008 to 2013 she was an Italian senator elected with The People of Freedom, member of Defense Commission, member of Foreign Affairs Commission, member of Human Rights Commission, president Bilateral Parliamentary Association of Italy Iraq.

She started her international activity working with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1988.

For almost thirty years she has worked in several countries.^{[citation needed]}

She was Special Representative of the Italian Prime Minister for Darfur, Sudan, from 2004 to 2006.

She served as Governor of the Dhi Qar Province in Iraq, Nasiriyah, with the Coalition Provisional Authority led by ambassador Paul Bremer in Iraq, from 2003 to 2004.

She was Regional Director of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1999 to 2002.