Shirley Botchwey Makes History: First African Woman to Lead Commonwealth Secretary-General Role

Addis Ababa, April 3, 2025 (ENA) — Shirley Botchwey is set to take office as the 7th Secretary-General of the Commonwealth today.

As a result, she will be the inaugural female African to assume this position after being selected by the Commonwealth Leaders' Meeting held every two years in Apia, Samoa in 2024.

Botchwey boasts two decades of expertise in diplomacy, international relations, governance, and public service. From January 2017 to January 2024, she held the position of Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and was concurrently part of Ghana’s National Security Council.

It has been revealed that the Secretary-General is appointed by Commonwealth leaders and may serve up to two consecutive terms, each lasting for four years.

The role of the Commonwealth Secretary-General includes advocating for and upholding the organization's principles, serving as a public representative of the Commonwealth, and overseeing the administration of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Botchwey ‘s Career and leadership

Before her current role, she held the position of Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration from January 2017 to January 2024 and also served as part of Ghana’s National Security Council. During her time in office, she spearheaded notable changes in how foreign policies were implemented. These efforts bolstered Ghana’s presence on the international stage and brought about revolutionary advancements in consular services via digital transformation and innovative approaches.

During her time as Foreign Minister, she chaired the Council of Ministers of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) from 2020 to 2022, leading strategic responses to security crises, democratic transitions and regional institutional reform. She played a key role in the passage of landmark UN Security Council Resolution 2667 in 2022, enabling the financing of African Union-led peace operations — a historic achievement during Ghana’s tenure as a non-permanent member of the Council.

She played a key role in obtaining UN Resolution 2634, which tackles piracy and enhances maritime safety in the Gulf of Guinea. Additionally, she significantly influenced Ghana’s prominent "Year of Return" and "Beyond the Return" programs, thereby bolstering connections—both cultural and economic—with the worldwide African diaspora.

In an earlier phase of her career, she acted as the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Information, and Trade and Industry under President John Agyekum Kufuor’s tenure from 2001 to 2009. Between 2005 and 2021, she held the position of Member of Parliament first for the Weija constituency and then for the Anyaa-Sowutuom constituency, consistently serving one of the most populous districts in Ghana throughout four successive parliamentary terms.

Before venturing into politics, Shirley Botchwey headed a thriving marketing and communications company and worked as an advisor in the tourism industry.

Provided by Syndigate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).