Dr Suzanne Akila
Special advisor on negotiations for Greater Sunrise between Australia and Timor-Leste
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Suzanne joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2015 and is currently the special advisor on negotiations for Greater Sunrise between Australia and Timor-Leste. She served as political counsellor in Papua New Guinea (2021–2023) and Deputy High Commissioner in Vanuatu (2023).
She has led the International Law Section, the Sea Law and Antarctica Section and served as special advisor South China Sea. Prior to joining DFAT, Suzanne worked in the Office of International Law at the Attorney-General’s Department. Suzanne was named Woman Lawyer of the Year for Government by the ACT Women Lawyers Association in 2018. Suzanne was an inaugural Sir Roland Wilson Foundation Scholar, and completed her PhD at the ANU.
