Commonwealth: Who is Hon Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the new Commonwealth Secretary-General

Commonwealth Secretary-General, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey

In a historic move, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey of Ghana has officially taken office as the Commonwealth Secretary-General. She assumed her position on April 1, 2025, following her unanimous appointment by Commonwealth Heads of Government at their 2024 biennial meeting in Apia, Samoa.

The Commonwealth: The next Commonwealth Secretary-General?

Mamadou Tangara of The Gambia, Shirley Botchway from Ghana and Joshua Setipa of Lesotho. The new Commonwealth Secretary-General will succeed Rt Hon. Patricia Scotland, KC, who has held the post since 2016.

At the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa in October 2024, the seventh Commonwealth Secretary-General will be elected. Ahead of this momentous vote, the three declared candidates for Commonwealth Secretary-General convened at Chatham House in London to present and debate their vision for the future of the Commonwealth. Africa makes up more than a third … Read more