Apia: Former President John Dramani Mahama has congratulated Ms. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey on her election as Secretary-General of the Commonwealth. In a statement, the former President expressed his excitement about Ms. Botchwey joining the distinguished group of diplomats tasked with making the Commonwealth and the world a better place. He noted the significance of her appointment as the second African and the first African woman to assume this prestigious role, following the tenure of Patricia Scotland. Mahama urged her to make Ghana and Africa proud with her leadership of the 56-member organization.
According to Ghana News Agency, Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, was elected by the 56-Member States of the Commonwealth as the next Secretary-General. Her election took place at the 27th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held in Apia, Samoa, from October 21 to 26. Botchwey will succeed the UK’s Baroness Patricia Scotland, who will complete
her second four-year tenure by the end of December 2024.
Botchwey, a lawyer and diplomat with eight years of experience as Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, was chosen from a pool of three candidates, which included Senator Joshua Setipa of Lesotho and Dr. Mamadou Tangara of the Gambia. In a social media post shortly after her election, Botchwey expressed her gratitude and commitment to working towards a New Commonwealth that benefits all its citizens.
Baroness Patricia Scotland also extended her congratulations to Botchwey, expressing her honor in passing the baton to her “dear sister” and wishing her blessings in serving the Commonwealth. Botchwey, who is also a politician and communications professional, has extensive experience in international relations, diplomacy, and public service.
The Commonwealth, an intergovernmental association headed by King Charles II, promotes democratic governance, trade cooperation, education, climate advocacy, and financial transparency among i
ts members. In her campaign, Botchwey proposed six key areas for repositioning the organization to meet the expectations of its 2.7 billion citizens. These areas include enhancing democracy, strengthening Commonwealth values, increasing trade and investment cooperation, promoting youth and education, advocating for climate change mitigation, and effectively managing resources for a more efficient Commonwealth institution.