As a Visiting Fellow at the IDS, Gabriele will be doing research on the objectives and instruments of social protection policy in South Asia as expressions of a possible distinct welfare state approach in the region. She also hopes to engage with staff and students to get new insights on "development".

Her interests and expertise include, inter alia, development policy and development agendas, notably the MDGs; concepts of human development and human security; economic and social policies around employment and decent work and social protection; and the history of development cooperation and UN history.

Gabriele's background is in international development, with a long UN career. At UNCTAD, she led work on policy coherence, coordination, communications and outreach and did policy-related research on international trade, commodities, and investment. As the UNICEF South Asia regional advisor on social policy she developed a social policy programme and led advisory services for UNICEF and governments in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

As the United Nations Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident-Representative in Latvia, she directed interagency programmes on social inclusion; good governance, public policy and judicial reform; environmental management; and youth and health. At UN ESCAP, Gabriele worked on development planning, economic and social policy, and the LDCs.

Gabriele is an economist trained in the Universities of Regensburg, Tübingen, Munich, Wuppertal, and Ottawa.

She enjoys writing, teaching and talking!