Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Shirley A. Botchwey, delivered a splendid performance in London on Wednesday September 11, 2024 while debating two other African candidates vying 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 by focusing her opening remarks on the experience she has gained as a four-term legislator and over a decade as one of Africa’s top diplomats.
She emphasised 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 organized by the Commonwealth Foundation, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, and Chatham House.
Ms. Botchwey highlighted her experience as a four-term legislator and her decade-long tenure as one of Africa’s top diplomats. She emphasised the need for a woman with her skills and stature to lead the Commonwealth into the future.
During the debate, 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 resolutions were historic, with Resolution 27/19 allowing Africa-led peace support operations to be funded by the UN for the first time, and Resolution 26/34 addressing 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 organization 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 former 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 shared a story about a bicycle his mother promised him if he went to school, which never arrived despite him completing a PhD.
Mr. Setipa paid tribute 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 expressed her desire for the organization 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.
Having met nearly all the leaders of the 56-member Commonwealth, Ms. Botchwey 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 also emphasised the importance of trade and investment within the Commonwealth, considering its $13 trillion GDP and a population of 2.6 billion people.
Ms. Botchwey pointed out that60 percent of the population is 30 or below, emphasizing the critical role this demographic plays in ensuring prosperity, political stability, and a thriving democracy through education, skills training, and job opportunities.
She stressed that “trust and confidence” in the Secretary-General are crucial for the success of “A New Commonwealth,” as these attributes are essential for securing funding for the ambitious proposals presented by her and fellow candidates.