New Commonwealth Secretary-General announced at CHOGM 2024 as Foreign Minister from Ghana

Following the announcement of the new Commonwealth Secretary-General as Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey from Ghana at the 27th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg said:

“On behalf of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and our membership of almost 180 Commonwealth Legislatures, I would like to offer our congratulations to Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey from Ghana on her appointment as the new Commonwealth Secretary-General from next year.

We look forward to working closely with the incoming Commonwealth Secretary-General and continuing our work with the Commonwealth Secretariat based on the values and principles enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter including the promotion of parliamentary democracy and the rule of law, combatting climate change and its impact on small states, empowering sustainable development, engaging with young people and promoting equality for all.”

Ahead of CHOGM 2024, the new Commonwealth Secretary-General joined the other two candidates from The Gambia and Lesotho last month at a debate at Chatham House to share their vision for the future of the Commonwealth and also wrote of her aspirations for the future of the Commonwealth in a special CPA blog series.

Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey from Ghana is currently the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, and she spoke at the opening of the 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (66th CPC) in Accra last year when she emphasised her support for the CPA and its work.

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The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association connects, develops, promotes and supports Parliamentarians and their staff to identify benchmarks of good governance and the implementation of the enduring values of the Commonwealth. The CPA is an international community of around 180 Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures working together to deepen the Commonwealth’s commitment to the highest standards of democratic governance.

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