_{Shirley Botchwey, Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations}

by Charles Gladden

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Apr. 3, 2025

Former Ghanaian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shirley Botchwey has become the 7th Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations and the first African woman to hold the position.

First established in 1927, the British Commonwealth of Nations is an international association that consists of 56 independent countries that were former territories of the British Empire, with the exception of Mozambique, Rwanda, Gabon, and Togo, which were never part of the British Empire but are now members of the Commonwealth.

Botchwey replaces Patricia Scotland of Dominica, who was the first woman to serve as the Commonwealth Secretary-General. Before entering politics in 2005, she worked as a marketing and communication consultant and ultimately served 4 terms as the representative of the largest constituency in Ghana. Botchwey held the position of Foreign Affairs, National Security, Business, and Communications.

“I switched to politics to be the voice of everyday people among whom I lived,” she said.

“I care about people,” Botchwey continued. “The fisherfolks, traders in small kiosks, entrepreneurs, and especially our young people and women, their dreams that are the same as the dreams of millions across the Commonwealth. The dream across the Commonwealth is to make a decent living, to take care of themselves and their families, and it is only possible if leaders like myself at international levels remain mindful of obligations to the least amongst us,” she added.

Botchwey was elected to a four-year term, with the possibility of the renewal of her term, at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2024 in Apia, Samoa.

Botchwey assumed the role on Tuesday, April 1.