Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey Elected As The Sec-General Of The Commonwealth

Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey

At The 27th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) In Apia, the capital of the Pacific Island nation of Samoa, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey has been elected secretary-general of the Commonwealth.

The diplomat had to fight hard against two other African candidates: Joshua Phoho Setipa, the former trade minister of Lesotho, and Mamadou Tangara, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Gambia.

The 61-year-old succeeds Baroness Patricia Scotland, who holds dual citizenship in the United Kingdom and the Dominican Republic. Scotland’s second and final term ends at the end of 2024.

Botchwey has worked in diplomacy and government for nearly 20 years, most recently serving as Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration since 2017.

She established the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) to improve Ghanaian diplomats’ skills and working conditions, and she is well-known for her forward-thinking policies.

Additionally, Botchwey has led and pushed for significant digitalization of passport and consular services, which has streamlined procedures for Ghanaians at home and abroad.

During Ghana’s most recent two-year term on the United Nations Security Council, her advocacy for the country’s foreign policy agenda increased her international appeal.

She won a historic victory for Africa in December 2023 with the unanimous adoption of UN Resolution 2719, which made it possible for the UN to fund peace operations led by the African Union.

The resolution was hailed as a diplomatic success for African independence in peacekeeping efforts.

Through the 2019 “Year of Return” and “Beyond the Return” campaigns, which commemorated 400 years since the start of the transatlantic slave trade, Botchwey has also played a crucial role in promoting Ghana’s global cultural relations.

Ghana’s relationship to Africa and the Caribbean were strengthened by these initiatives.

From 2020 to 2022, Botchwey was the chair of the Council of Ministers for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

In this position, she expertly navigated diplomatic obstacles to support stability in the Sahel, a region plagued by political instability and security threats.

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Her academic background is extensive and impressive. She holds an MA in public communications from the University of Westminster, an Executive MBA from the University of Ghana Business School, and a degree from the Ghana School of Law.

Botchwey, who is also a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Ghana, used to run a marketing and communications consultancy. This experience has helped her become better at public relations and diplomacy.

Climate change, threats to democracy, and disinformation, among other urgent issues facing the Commonwealth, are Botchwey’s top priorities for member states working toward sustainable development. As a result, she plans to overcome these obstacles as the new leader.

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