Shirley Botchwey assumed office as the 7th Secretary-General of the Commonwealth. With this, she became the first woman from Africa to hold this office.
Key Highlights
- She was appointed by Commonwealth Heads of Government at their biennial meeting in Apia, Samoa in 2024.
- Ms. Botchwey previously served as Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration from January 2017 to January 2024 and was also a member of Ghana’s National Security Council.
- The Secretary-General is nominated by Commonwealth leaders and can serve a maximum of two terms of four years each.
- The Commonwealth Secretary-General is responsible for promoting and protecting the Commonwealth’s values, representing the Commonwealth publicly and the management of the Commonwealth Secretariat.
- The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 independent and equal countries.
(Source: The Commonwealth)
