Secretary-General Hon. Shirley Botchwey

She was appointed by Commonwealth Heads of Government at their biennial meeting in Apia, Samoa in 2024. She assumed office on 1 April 2025, bringing more than 20 years of leadership experience in diplomacy, international relations, governance, and public service to the position.

Career and leadership

Prior to her appointment, she served as Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration from January 2017 to January 2024 and was a member of Ghana’s National Security Council. Her tenure was marked by significant reforms in foreign policy delivery, which strengthened Ghana’s diplomatic footprint and introduced transformative improvements in consular services through digitisation and innovation.

During her time as Foreign Minister, she chaired the Council of Ministers of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) from 2020 to 2022, leading strategic responses to security crises, democratic transitions and regional institutional reform. She played a key role in the passage of landmark UN Security Council Resolution 2667 in 2022, enabling the financing of African Union-led peace operations — a historic achievement during Ghana’s tenure as a non-permanent member of the Council.

She also helped secure UN Resolution 2634 addressing piracy and maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and was instrumental in shaping Ghana’s high-profile “Year of Return” and “Beyond the Return” initiatives, strengthening cultural and economic ties with the global African diaspora.

Earlier in her career, she served as Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Information, and Trade and Industry, during President John Agyekum Kufuor’s administration (2001–2009). From 2005 to 2021, she was a Member of Parliament for the Weija and later Anyaa-Sowutuom constituencies, representing the largest population base in Ghana’s legislature across four consecutive terms.

Prior to entering politics, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey led a successful marketing and communications firm and served as a consultant in the tourism sector.

Commonwealth Secretary General Shirley Botchwey at desk

Secretary-General Botchwey is a qualified Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Ghana and holds extensive academic and professional credentials, including:

Executive MBA (Project Management), University of Ghana Business School, Legon
Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice (LPC), The University of Law, UK
MA in Public Communications and Public Relations, University of Westminster, UK
Bachelor of Laws (LLB), University of London, UK
Certificate in Marketing Management, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA)
Diploma in Public Relations and Advertising, Ghana Institute of Journalism
Diploma in Secretarial and Management Studies, Pitman Central College, UK
Qualifying Certificate in Law (QCL), Ghana School of Law, Accra

She has also undertaken leadership training at Harvard University’s Kennedy School and the Institute of Paralegal Training and Leadership Studies. She is a Fellow of the African Leadership Initiative and the Aspen Global Leadership Network, and a member of the Ghana National Association of Alternative Dispute Resolution Practitioners.

The role of the Commonwealth Secretary-General

The Commonwealth Secretary-General is responsible for:

promoting and protecting the Commonwealth’s values
representing the Commonwealth publicly
the management of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Former Commonwealth Secretaries-General

The Secretary-General is nominated by Commonwealth leaders and can serve a maximum of two terms of four years each.

Former Secretaries-General are:

Patricia Scotland of Dominica (2016-2025)
Kamalesh Sharma of India (2008-2016)
Don McKinnon of New Zealand (2000-2008)
Chief Emeka Anyaoku of Nigeria (1990-2000)
Sir Shridath ‘Sonny’ Ramphal of Guyana (1975-1990)
Arnold Smith of Canada (1965-1975)

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Secretary-General