Alexander Downer, the United Nations’ Special Advisor on Cyprus and former Australian foreign affairs minister will accompany Adelaide University student Catriona Standfield to Cyprus next month to meet UN negotiators and present her ideas on how peace can be achieved in the divided country.

Standfield was invited after she completed an internship with Downer relating to the importance of the inclusion of Cypriot women in peacekeeping negotiations.

Downer said the 23-year-old student’s research and ideas could potentially change how the UN approaches their peacekeeping negotiations.

“Her work has very much impressed the UN, and it’s their view there’s virtue in this outstanding student coming and joining the UN team in Cyprus for a couple of weeks,” Downer told The Australian.

“Engaging in this dialogue with the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots in this peace process run by the UN will not only help the UN fulfil its obligations to the Security Council, but it will hopefully be the catalyst for some more creative thinking by the Cypriots on what they should do to address gender issues in the peace process.”