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Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey

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Her Excellency The Honourable[1][2]
Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey
Botchwey in 2018
7th Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations
Incumbent
Assumed office
1 April 2025[3]
HeadCharles III
Chair-in-Office
Preceded byThe Baroness Scotland of Asthal
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration
In office
28 January 2017 – 7 January 2025
PresidentNana Akufo-Addo
Preceded byHanna Tetteh
Succeeded bySamuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
Member of the Ghana Parliament
for Anyaa Sowotuom
In office
7 January 2013 – 7 January 2021
PresidentJohn Mahama
Nana Akufo-Addo
Preceded byNew constituency
Majority4,545
Personal details
Born
Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey

(1963-02-08) 8 February 1963 (age 62)
Accra, Ghana
Political partyNew Patriotic Party
Children2
Education St Mary's Senior High School
Alma materUniversity of Ghana;
Gray's Inn, London
ProfessionJournalist

Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey (born 8 February 1963) is a Ghanaian politician, diplomat and lawyer who has served as Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations since 1 April 2025.[4][5] At the time of her appointment, she was Ghana's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration. She was appointed foreign minister by Ghanaian president Nana Akufo-Addo on 10 January 2017.[6][7] Previously, she was a Member of Parliament for Anyaa-Sowutuom from 2013 to 2021[8] and had served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and a Minister of State at the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing[9] under John Kufuor.[10][11] She is a member of the New Patriotic Party.

Early life and education

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Born in Accra, Ghana, Botchwey had her secondary education at St. Mary's Girls' Senior High School at Korle Gonno. She is a product of the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS), the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), the Pitman's Central College, University of London and University of Westminster all in the United Kingdom (UK).[12]

She holds an Executive MBA (Project Management option), MA in Public Communication, Bachelor of Law Degree (LLB), a Diploma in Public Relations and Advertising as well as a certificate in Marketing Management.

Political career

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In the John Agyekum Kufuor administration which ran between 2001 and 2009, Botchwey served in various portfolios including deputy minister for foreign affairs, deputy minister for information and deputy minister for trade and industries. She was a member of parliament for four terms, first representing Ghana's most populous constituency, Weija, and later, Anyaa/Sowutuom which was carved out of Weija before the 2012 elections.[13] Botchwey chose not to run for a fifth term in Parliament in the 2020 Election.[14]

At the party level, she served as spokesperson on foreign affairs between the year 2009 and 2013.

During the same period, she was Ranking Member for the Parliamentary Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and later, the Appointments, Defence and Interior Committees of Parliament.

A member of the ECOWAS Parliament from 2013 – 2017, she worked with her colleagues to assist the Community Parliament in its advisory role in considering matters concerning the region particularly on issues relating to fundamental human rights and freedom, while making recommendations to institutions and organs of ECOWAS. She also served as Vice Chair on the NEPAD & APRM Committees.

Before she called time on her sixteen years career as member of parliament, Shirley was a member of the Communications as well as the Gender and Children Committees of Parliament where she worked with colleague members to look into matters relating to communications and examined all gender and children focused issues to ensure their inclusion in all appropriate legislation. On 21 January 2021, she was nominated as the minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration by the president of Ghana, Nana Akuffo-Addo.[15]

On 26 October 2024, Botchwey was elected as Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations at the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa.[16][17] Her tenure began on 1 April 2025. She is the first Ghanaian to hold the position.[18]

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Before entering into frontline politics, Botchwey ran a marketing and communications company where she was a consultant for the Ministry of Tourism. She was also the managing director of Dynacom Limited.[19]

As a practitioner of public administration, she worked with various organizations such as Worldspace Ghana, the Divestiture Implementation Committee, Glaxo Group Research and Hodge Recruitment.[20]

She became a lawyer in October 2023 when she was called to the bar as a barrister and solicitor in Ghana.[21]

Botchwey was the Chairperson of ECOWAS Council of Ministers and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana.[22] She is the incoming Commonwealth Secretary-General[23][24][25]

Personal life

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Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey is a single mother of two.[26][27] She is an Anglican.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "New Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey pledges to advance Commonwealth values in a divided world". thecommonwealth.org (Press release). Commonwealth Secretariat. 2 April 2025.
  2. ^ The Royal Family at X.
  3. ^ Leader's Statement (17) at "CHOGM 2024: Samoa Communiqué, Leaders' Statement and Declarations on 'One Resilient Common Future'", The Commonwealth, 26 October 2024.
  4. ^ "Commonwealth Announces Ghana Foreign Minister As New Secretary General". Barron's. Agence France Presse. 26 October 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  5. ^ Ratcliffe, Rebecca (26 October 2024). "Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey appointed Commonwealth secretary general". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  6. ^ "Ayorkor Botchway is Foreign Affairs Minister-Designate". GhanaWeb. 9 January 2017. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  7. ^ "Chinese Ambassador Pays Farewell Visit To Foreign Minister". DailyGuide Network. 5 June 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  8. ^ "Parliament of Ghana".
  9. ^ "Ministry of Water Resources, Works & Housing". ghana peacefmonline. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  10. ^ "Members of Parliament". www.parliament.gh. 6 March 2014. Archived from the original on 8 November 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  11. ^ "Ayorkor Botchway targets 50k victory margin". Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  12. ^ "Minister – Ministry Of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration". Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  13. ^ "Minister – Ministry Of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration". Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  14. ^ "Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey pulls out of Anyaa-Sowutuom NPP primaries". The Independent Ghana. 25 February 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  15. ^ "Akufo-Addo presents first list of ministers for his second term to parliament - MyJoyOnline.com". Myjoyonline. 21 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  16. ^ "Commonwealth announces Ghana foreign minister as new secretary general". France 24. 26 October 2024.
  17. ^ "CHOGM 2024: Incoming Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Announced". Commonwealth. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  18. ^ Koomson, Joshua Bediako (28 October 2024). "Ayorkor Botchwey elected next Commonwealth Secretary-General". Graphic Online. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  19. ^ "Ghana MPs - MP Details - Botchwey, Shirley Ayorkor". Ghana MPs. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  20. ^ "Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Biography". ghanaweb. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  21. ^ Arthur, Abigail (20 October 2023). "Foreign Affairs Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey called to the Bar". Citi NewsRoom. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  22. ^ Arhinful, Ernest; Ann-Shirley Ziwu (15 September 2021). "Guinea coup: Alpha Condé still in shock – Ayorkor Botchwey". Citinewsroom.com. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  23. ^ "Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey Ghana minister emerge secretary-general of Commonwealth of nations". BBC News Pidgin. 26 October 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  24. ^ Asare, Wilberforce (28 October 2024). "Namibian President, Nangolo Mbumba congratulates new Commonwealth S.C. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey". Asaase Radio. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  25. ^ Narh, William (28 October 2024). "Ghana's Ayorkor Botchwey arrives after historic election as Commonwealth Secretary-General". Citi NewsRoom. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  26. ^ "I am a grandmother and single - Shirley Ayorkor-Botchwey". ghanaweb. 11 February 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  27. ^ "Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey – Foreign Affairs - Government of Ghana". Government of Ghana. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
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Political offices
Preceded by Minister for Foreign Affairs
7 January 2017 – present 		Incumbent
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