History in the Making: Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey Elected as First Female Secretary General of the Commonwealth

The new Secretary General of the Commonwealth is Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey. She was elected at the 27th Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit (CHOGM) 2024 in Apia, the capital of Samoa. Her election made the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo Addo, jump for joy. She will succeed the outgoing Commonwealth Patricia Scotland, Dominic and Briton, whose second and final term ends at the end of 2024.

“Today, at CHOGM2024, the Commonwealth Heads of Government chose the Honorable Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, who is currently Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, as the new Commonwealth Secretary-General.“, we can read on Commonwealth X’s account.

The new Secretary General is Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey. The Commonwealth Secretariat helps member countries build democratic and inclusive institutions, strengthen governance and promote justice and human rights.

Following her election, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey did not hide her joy on her X account where she wrote “truly honored by the massive support of the Commonwealth heads of government who chose me as the new Secretary General of the Commonwealth. Work indeed awaits us! ” . And to note “There is still a lot of work to be done. But together we will work to have a new Commonwealth that works for all its citizens.”

“I am honored to hand over the baton to my beloved sister, the Honorable Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, who will succeed me as the next Secretary General of the Commonwealth,” responded the outgoing Secretary General of Scotland.

The President of Ghana did not hide his satisfaction

Reaction to the election of Ghana’s Foreign Minister, President of Ghana; Mr. Akudo Addo wants to ensure the new SG of the support of Ghanaians to succeed in his new role.

“Today, I feel a deep sense of pride and joy as I congratulate the Honorable Shirley Ayorkor Botchway on her election as the next and 7th Secretary General of the Commonwealth… For years, I have watched her serve Ghana, Africa and the an international community with unwavering commitment and grace… She has a vision of inclusion and progress that I know will inspire the Commonwealth family and lead it towards a future of hope and unity,” the Ghanaian president wrote on his X account Seizing the opportunity to express her gratitude to her fellow heads of state and government for their vote of confidence in favor of the Ghanaian candidate.

His Majesty King Charles III of England, who attended the summit for the first time as head of the Commonwealth, highlighted the links between member countries and the need to recognize the past as a guide when making good decisions for the future in the face of tensions in the world. He emphasized his “unwavering faith” in the value of the 56-member union and its 2.7 billion inhabitants.

Who is the new Commonwealth Secretary General?

Botchwey, 61, is a lawyer, diplomat and politician. He studied at the University of Ghana, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in sociology and psychology and then at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom, where he obtained a master’s degree in international relations.

A candidate for the post of Commonwealth Secretary General, she faced stiff competition from two other African contenders: Lesotho’s former Trade Minister, Joshua Phoho Setipa, and Gambia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mamadou Tangara.

Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration since 2017, Botchwey chaired the Council of Ministers of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) between 2020 and 2022, where he overcame diplomatic challenges to support stability in a region plagued by political turmoil. and security threats in the Sahel. He oversaw Ghana’s recent two-year term on the UN Security Council.

Let us add that following the 27th Commonwealth Summit which officially ends on Saturday October 26, 2024 in Samoa, the Prime Minister of Samoa, Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, is now the current President of the Commonwealth Heads of Government. She will lead, with the new General Secretary, the organization’s affairs for 2 years until the next meeting in 2026.

The biennial gathering of monarchs, heads of government, ministers and senior officials, civil society and religious groups is the first to be held in a small developing island nation in the Pacific.

TGT

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