Hilia Barber has a long history in the foreign service. She was chief of the Guinea-Bissau Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Europe-America department in 1982. In this role Barber was part of a delegation sent to Cuba to negotiate technical assistance, international scholarships and military training.[1] She presented her credentials to President of Israel Ezer Weizman on 17 April 1996. Barber was the first ambassador to Israel from Guinea-Bissau.[2] Whilst serving in this role, in July 1998 she successfully sought humanitarian aid from the Israeli government to help alleviate suffering as a result of the Guinea-Bissau Civil War.[3]
In early 1999 Barber was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, the first woman to serve in that role.[4] She was replaced by José Pereira Baptista later that same year.[5] By 2013 Barber had become Guinea-Bissau's ambassador to France.[6]