29 Aug Shirley Botchwey meets Pacific Leaders & addresses forum in Tonga
Ghana’s Foreign Minister and candidate for Commonwealth Secretary-General, Ms. Shirley Botchwey, has concluded three days of meetings in Tonga with leaders of the Pacific Islands, and addressed a plenary session of the Region’s Leaders.
Ms. Botchwey also shared her vision for “a new Commonwealth that works for its citizens.”
The meetings took place alongside the 53rd Pacific Islands Leaders Forum during which a 6.9 earthquake shook the island in several waves, at the very moment UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutierrez was addressing students on natural disasters.
The desperate need for the Commonwealth to urgently address Climate change-related issues and their impact on especially Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Small States and coastal countries, was a key agenda item in Ms. Botchwey’s bilateral engagements with counterparts and Prime Ministers.
Ms. Botchwey’s team accompanied to Tonga by one of Ghana’s most seasoned diplomats, Dr. Mohamed ibn Chambas, former UN under-Secretary-General, and founder Secretary-General of African Caribbean Pacific Organization (ACP).
Ms. Botchwey also met with the Crown Prince of Tonga, Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala, and the following leaders :
PM, Tonga , Hon. Hu’akavameiliku Sovaleni
PM , Vanuatu, Hon. Charlot Salwai
PM, Samoa, Hon. Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa
PM, Papua New Guinea, Hon. James Marape
Dep PM, New Zealand, Hon. Winston Peters
FM, Nauru, Hon. Lionel Rouwen Aingimea
PM, Tuvalu, Hon. Feleti Teo