Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey officially welcomed by King Charles III as New Commonwealth Secretary-General

King Charles III welcomed Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey at Windsor Castle. This meeting marked the start of her tenure as Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.

Madam Botchwey is the 7th leader of the 56-nation organization. She succeeds Baroness Patricia Scotland in this role.

She is the first Ghanaian and only the second African to hold this position. Previously, she served as Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.

Madam Botchwey was elected by consensus during the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Apia, Samoa.

On April 1, she delivered her inaugural address at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London. She highlighted the Commonwealth's important role in global economic and political challenges.

She pledged to promote unity, shared prosperity, and deeper cooperation among member states during her time in office.