Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey has officially expressed her interest in the position of Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.
Following an agreement within the Commonwealth that the next Secretary-General would be from Africa, President Nana Akufo-Addo nominated Madam Botchwey as Ghana’s candidate.
The election for the new Secretary-General of the 56-member organization is scheduled for October 22, 2024, during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa.
This appointment will replace Baroness Patricia Scotland, a dual Dominican-British citizen, whose second and final term concludes at the end of 2024.
“Nominating her. President Akufo-Addo stated, “I have strong confidence in Foreign Minister Botchwey to lead our aspiration for renewal and for building future-looking resilient and thriving economies, through community cooperation and action, as underscored at Kigali-Rwanda, during the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
A statement released by Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration claims that “Ms. Botchwey has been endorsed by the African Union, and also enjoys considerable support across all regions of the Commonwealth.
Former President John Mahama has said he will support Shirley Botchwey in her bid to contest as Secretary-General of the Commonwealth. “I’m hearing it for the first time that our Foreign Affairs Minister is interested in the position of the Commonwealth Secretary-General.
“It’s Africa’s turn, why not, I mean we will have a Ghanaian Secretary-General, female. It’s something I will support,” Mr Mahama said when he delivered a public lecture at Chatham House in the United Kingdom (UK) last Friday.
