12 Sep Ghana’s Shirley Botchwey presents her vision for the Commonwealth’s future in Secretary-General debate
Ghana’s Foreign Minister Shirley Botchwey delivered a splendid performance in London on Wednesday when she debated two other African candidates contesting for the position of Commonwealth Secretary-General.
Ms. Botchwey who is considered the front-runner in the three-way contest, gained momentum from the start when she focused her opening remarks on the experience she has accumulated as a four-term legislator and over a decade as one of Africa’s top diplomats, and why the Commonwealth would benefit from her competencies and stature to lead the organisation into the future.
The debate, which was moderated by BBC journalist Zainab Badawi, was organized by the Commonwealth Foundation, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, and the UK think tank Chatham House, who hosted it.
Ms. Botchwey reeled off a series of diplomatic accomplishments, including leading the unanimous passage of two key resolutions through the UN Security Council during Ghana’s two-year non-permanent membership on the council which ended in 2023.
These were the historic Resolution 27/19 which, for the first time, allows Africa-led peace support operations to be funded by the UN; and Resolution 26/34 on piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, jointly sponsored by Ghana and Norway.
As the Chair of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, she negotiated with Sahelian military juntas to promote democracy and implemented reforms at the ECOWAS, resulting in significant savings that were allocated to community programs.
“This experience will be relevant for making the Commonwealth optimize its resources to achieve more for member countries,” Ms. Botchwey pointed out.
“As Foreign Minister for eight years, I have successfully managed an organization the size of Ghana’s Foreign Ministry, modernized its services across the world and set up our Foreign Service Institute,” Ms Botchwey told the packed Chatham House auditorium and an online audience of over 1,600.
The other two candidates are Gambian Foreign Minister Mamadou Tangara, and ex-Lesotho Trade Minister Joshua Setipa.
A new Secretary-General is due to be elected at the next Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa next month. Based on the organization’s regional rotation convention, the leader must come from Africa to replace Baroness Patricia Scotland who is serving her eighth and final year.
Ms. Botchwey stated her desire for the organization to lead in democratic renewal, respond boldly to climate change, and establish a cooperation framework ensuring inclusive economic growth, social mobility, and effective social protection.
Ms. Botchwey who has met nearly all the leaders of the 56-member Commonwealth outlined her vision, adding that listening to them “has refined my priorities to reflect a consensus that would unify our body and position us to help countries address their vulnerabilities and build resilience.”
Her vision includes promoting democracy, and realizing its economic dividends; climate change, and its implications particularly for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Small States; and more effective management of the Commonwealth Secretariat.
She also emphasized the importance of trade and investment within the Commonwealth, considering its $13 trillion GDP heft, and a population of 2.6 billion people.
Some 60 percent of the population is 30 or below. This demographic is critical for ensuring prosperity, political stability, and a thriving democracy through education, skills training, and jobs, said Ms. Botchwey.
Ms. Botchwey was quick to cite “trust and confidence” in the Secretary-General as the most critical ingredient for a “A New Commonwealth”, as these were key to unlocking funding for the ideas, she and colleague candidates had put forward.