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.
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 Commission, 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 organisation 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 contestants are Gambian foreign minister Mamadou Tangara and ex-Lesotho Trade Minister Joshua Setipa, who is currently on leave as an officer of the Commonwealth Secretariat to contest for the upgrade to Secretary-General.
In his opening statement, Mr. Tangara regaled the audience with a story about a bicycle his mother promised him if he went to school, but which never arrived despite completing a PhD.
Mr. Setipa was generous with tributes to the legacies of previous Secretaries-General but ran out of time to justify his own candidacy.
The next Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa next month will elect a new Secretary-General. According to the organization’s regional rotation convention, the new leader must come from Africa to replace Baroness Patricia Scotland, who is serving her eighth and final year.
Ms. Botchwey said she wanted the organization to be “a leader for democratic renewal; for a bold response to climate change, and for a development co-operation framework that guarantees inclusive economic growth, social mobility and effective social protection.”
Ms. Botchwey stated her desire for the organisation 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 platform includes promoting democracy and harnessing its economic benefits, addressing climate change and its particular impact on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Small States, and improving the management of the Commonwealth Secretariat.
She has also hammered on the importance of trade and investment within the commonwealth, considering its $13 trillion GDP heft, and its population of 2.6 billion people.
She also emphasized the importance of trade and investment within the Commonwealth, considering its $13 trillion GDP and a population of 2.6 billion people.
Some 60% 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, says Ms. Botchwey.
Ms. Botchwey was quick to cite “trust and confidence” in the Secretary-General as the most critical ingredient for a “New Commonwealth”, as these were key to unlocking funding for the lofty ideas she and colleague candidates had put forward.
Ms. Botchwey emphasised that “trust and confidence” in the Secretary-General are crucial for the success of “A New Commonwealth”.
She highlighted that these attributes are essential for securing funding for the ambitious proposals presented by her and fellow candidates.
