Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey is being backed by both incumbent President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Dramani Mahama for the position of Secretary-General for the Commonwealth.
Shirley, whose name has been tipped by many for the position, is believed to possess sophisticated experiences and vision for the international community.
President Akufo-Addo, while nominating his minister for the position, expressed confidence in her ability to drive the course of building “future-looking resilient and thriving economies.”
The minister is contesting with two other African candidates namely Lesotho’s Senator Joshua Setipa and the Gambia’s Dr. Mamadou Tangara.
The bloc will elect its new Secretary-General at its 27th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be held in the capital city of the Pacific Island nation of Samoa, Apia. The election will be carried out from 21st to 26th October, 2024 under the theme “One Resilient Common Future: Transforming our Common Wealth” with the goal of establishing “resilient democratic institutions upholding human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.”
Shirley announced her decision to contest for the position early this year, after which she made known her vision for the international community. According to her, the common wealth has enormous potential to be realised, adding that she is motivated to ensure its vision is actualised.
“I’ve put myself forward because i care about the Commonwealth and its diverse peoples; and i’ve the leadership skills and record, networks and character for getting tough things done. The Commonwealth has enormous potential yet to be realised for its 2.68 billion citizens that could make it the most consequential organisation after the UN. I’m motivated to see that vision realised,” she said.
The minister elaborated on her experiences, especially as Chair of ECOWAS Council of Ministers, that make her highly qualified for the position.
“As Chair of ECOWAS Council of Ministers, I played an active role in the efforts to prevent coups in the region, and reform the institution’s Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.”
“I engaged military leaders, who’d taken power unconstitutionally, to develop roadmaps towards returning to constitutional rule.
“I also led reforms of the ECOWAS Commission, introducing efficiencies and making huge savings that were re-directed to Community Programmes.
“I worked with colleague Ministers in Ghana to execute the ‘Year of Return’ and ‘Beyond the Return’ policies, yielding strong bonds, closer than ever before, with the African Union’s sixth region, the Caribbean, and Global Africa.”
If elected, Madam Botchwey will become just the second African to assume the position.
Source: Dehotpress
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