President Akufo-Addo leads party to welcome Commonwealth Secretary-General-elect

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has pledged Ghana’s full support for the newly elected Commonwealth Secretary-General, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey as she embarks on this prestigious role.

Ms Botchwey, who is also Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, was last Saturday, elected as the seventh Secretary-General at the 27th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2024) in Apia, Samoa.

She has made history as the first African woman to hold the prestigious post and ushering in a new era of leadership for the Commonwealth.

She will also be the second woman to assume that role, as she succeeds the United Kingdom’s Baroness Patricia Scotland.

Her term, which begins in April next year, is anticipated to bring fresh perspectives and strengthened ties among member states, with particular focus on enhancing regional cooperation within the Commonwealth.

The Secretary-General is selected by consensus by Commonwealth leaders and can serve a maximum of two four-year terms.

The position was created together with the Commonwealth Secretariat at the 1965 Commonwealth Prime Ministers Conference in London, United Kingdom. Since then there have been six incumbents.

Welcome

At a ceremony held to welcome her back from the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa,yesterday, the President praised Ms Botchwey for her  accomplishments, saying: “She has done a ‘yeoman’s’ job as foreign secretary, chairperson of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, and several other important international assignments have been very well delivered by this young lady.”

President Akufo-Addo led the welcoming party at Kotoka International Airport, joined by dignitaries from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, traditional leaders and prominent members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The enthusiastic reception highlighted the pride felt across the nation following Ms Botchwey’s significant achievement on the international stage.

“Coming back here, I knew we would meet something like this and I am very happy that all of you have come out in your numbers and met her and congratulated her,” the President stated and called for support from all to enable her succeed in her new role.

“Let us all stand together behind her and push her to do a very good job for our country. She now flies the flag of Ghana on the global stage in a way which has not been done before since our late revered diplomate Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the United States,” he stated.

Overwhelming support

Ms Botchwey’s nomination triumphed over notable contenders, Senator Joshua Setipa of Lesotho and Dr Mamadou Tangara of The Gambia, with her candidacy strongly supported by both President Akufo-Addo and former President John Mahama.

This bipartisan endorsement underscored Ghana’s unified backing for her leadership role.