Ghana’s Foreign Minister Named Commonwealth New Secretary General

Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has been appointed as the new Secretary General of the Commonwealth, a 56-nation body predominantly made up of former British colonies.

The announcement was made on Saturday during a summit in Samoa marked by heated discussions on colonial reparations.

Botchwey, who has served as Ghana’s foreign minister for seven years, emerged as the successful candidate among three contenders, all of whom had advocated for Britain to confront the historical impact of colonialism and slavery.

Notably, she led Ghana’s role on the UN Security Council, which concludes in December 2023, and has championed the idea of a free trade agreement within the Commonwealth.

The Secretary-General position, which rotates among the Commonwealth’s geographic regions, was due to go to Africa this term.

Botchwey, the successor to Dominican Baroness Patricia Scotland, expressed her gratitude on social media, saying, “Truly humbled by the overwhelming support of the Commonwealth Heads of Government in selecting me as the incoming Secretary-General of the Commonwealth… The work indeed lies ahead!”

The Commonwealth, headed by King Charles III, promotes democratic governance, trade cooperation, education, climate action, and financial transparency.

Botchwey’s appointment was confirmed at the summit, which had initially aimed to focus on climate change but shifted towards vigorous discussions on reparations.