Ghana’s Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey elected Commonwealth Sec-Gen

The Commonwealth of Nations has announced Ghana’s Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey as its new Secretary-General at the group’s summit in Samoa.

     Botchwey, who has been Ghana’s foreign minister since 2017, was one of three candidates vying for the position, and she will take over from Patricia Scotland of Dominican and be the first Ghanaian to occupy the position.

   “I’m honoured and humbled by the trust of Commonwealth leaders. A lot of work lies ahead. But together, we shall work for a new Commonwealth that works for all its citizens,” Botchwey said on X, formerly Twitter.

In a congratulatory message, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said, “as the first Ghanaian to hold this position, her selection speaks to the strength of her character and her dedication to service, as well as to the esteem in which our nation, Ghana, is held among her peers.”

The Commonwealth of Nations is an international association of 56 member states, many of which use English as an official or secondary language