Ghana’s Ayorkor Botchwey elected Commonwealth Secretary-General
Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, was on Friday, October 25, 2024, elected by the 56 Member States of the Commonwealth, as the new Secretary-General of the organisation.
Her election, which took place at the 27th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Apia, the capital city of the Pacific Island nation of Samoa, held from October 21 – 26, makes her the first African woman and the second African personality to occupy the position.
She takes over from the United Kingdom’s (UK) Madam Patricia Scotland Baroness Scotland, who is completing her second four-year tenure by the end of December 2024.
The Apia CHOGM was attended by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of Ghana and King Charles II, the Head of the Commonwealth.
Ms Ayorkor Botchwey, who has been Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration for the past eight years, was chosen from among three candidates.
Ms Ayorkor Botchwey in an X post, minutes after her election on Saturday said: “I’m honoured and humbled by the trust of Commonwealth leaders. A lot of work lies ahead. But together, we shall work for a New Commonwealth that works for all its citizens.”
Madam Patricia Scotland Baroness Scotland, the outgoing Secretary-General of the Commonwealth in her congratulatory message said, “It is my honour to pass the baton to my dear sister, the Hon Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, who will succeed me as the next Commonwealth Secretary-General.”
“She will be uniquely blessed, as | have been, to hold this office and serve our precious Commonwealth,” she stated in a social media post.
Ms Ayorkor Botchwey is a lawyer, diplomat, politician, and communications professional, with extensive experience in international relations and diplomacy, and public service.
The Commonwealth is a diverse intergovernmental association headed by King Charles II, it promotes, among other objectives, democratic governance among member-states, and cooperation in trade, education, climate advocacy and transparency in financial systems.
Ms Ayorkor Botchwey has served as Ghana’s Foreign Minister for the past eight years, during which she steered Ghana’s momentous two-year tenure on the United Nations Security Council, ending in December 2023.
She also chaired the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Council of Ministers for two successive terms from 2020 to 2022.
She served as Deputy Foreign Minister from 2006 to 2009 and Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry and Communications before that.
A four-term legislator from 2004 through 2020, Ms Ayorkor Botchwey served on several Parliamentary Select Committees, including Foreign Affairs, as well as Appointments, Defence and Interior, Communications, and Gender and Children.
She was also a member of the ECOWAS Parliament from 2013 to 2017 and was Vice-Chair on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), and African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Committees.
With regards to her main plans and priorities for the job of Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Ms Ayorkor Botchwey proposes six areas for repositioning the organisation to respond to the expectations of the hundreds of millions across the Commonwealth for a decent and fulfilling life.
These are Democracy, Commonwealth Values and Realising the Democratic Dividend; and Trade and Investment; Youth, Education, Skills, Innovation and Start Ups.
The rest are Climate Change, Small Island Developing States and Small States and Managing resources for an Effective Commonwealth Institution.
The Commonwealth is an international association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire from which it developed.
Source: GNA