Allegations against UN’s Cyprus Special Advisor Downer “totally false”, says UN

The United Nations in Cyprus has described Friday as “totally false” allegations that Special Adviser to the Secretary General, Alexander Downer, has business interests in Turkey and that these interests constitute a conflict of interest.

A statement by the UN Cyprus Spokesperson, Jose Diaz, said that “allegations that the Special Adviser to the Secretary General, Alexander Downer, has business interests in Turkey and that these interests constitute a conflict of interest are totally false”.

It said that “Mr Downer has no business interests in either Turkey or Greece and has never in his life conducted any business with or in either of those countries”.

The statement said Downer “is a partner in the consultancy firm Bespoke Approach which primarily operates in Australia but also works in China and Indonesia”.

The American private equity firm KKR is a client of Bespoke Approach but the partner who deals with this account – who is not Mr Downer – advises KKR solely on Australian matters”.

Concluding, the statement underlines that “at no time has Bespoke Approach been involved with any issues in relation to Turkey”.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has appointed Downer, former Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs, as his special adviser on the Cyprus problem. Downer is noted in the diplomatic circles for his work as a highly distinguished diplomat and mediator, with a long list of contacts and influence to international organisations. He has close ties with Washington and during his time as Australia’s Foreign Minister, he was the closest ally to the US and the UK.

President Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat have been engaged in UN-led direct negotiations since September 2008, with an aim to reunite the island.