Ayorkor Botchwey shines at Commonwealth Secretary-General debate

Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Shirley A. Botchwey, delivered a splendid performance in London on Wednesday when debating 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, stole the 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 needed a woman with her competencies and stature to lead it into the future.

The debate, moderated by BBC journalist Zainab Badawi, was organised by the Commonwealth Foundation, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and Chatham House.

Ms. Botchwey listed several diplomatic feats, including guiding two crucial resolutions to unanimous approval by the UN Security Council during Ghana’s two-year non-permanent membership on the council, which ended in 2023.