Ghana’s foreign minister and candidate for Commonwealth Secretary-General, Ms. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has concluded three days of meetings in Tonga with leaders of the Pacific Islands, and addressed a plenary session of the region’s leaders.

Ms. Botchwey also shared her vision for “a new Commonwealth that works for its citizens, highlighting Climate Change; Education and skills for young people; trade and investment; and making democracy deliver socio-economic dividends.

The meetings took place alongside the 53rd Pacific Islands Leaders Forum during which a 6.9 earthquake shook the island in several waves, at the very moment UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutierrez was addressing students on natural disasters.

The desperate need for the Commonwealth to urgently address Climate change-related issues and their impact on especially Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Small States and coastal countries, was a key agenda item in Ms. Botchwey’s bilateral engagements with counterparts and Prime Ministers.

“If anyone needed reminding of the vulnerability and fragility of the Pacific Islands and indeed other small developing island and coastal states elsewhere on the planet, we got a shocking reminder today,” Ms. Botchwey said.

“I will continue to be an advocate of SIDS, and Small and Coastal States, and indeed all vulnerable members of our Commonwealth,” she added.

Ms. Botchwey was accompanied to Tonga by Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, former UN under-Secretary-General, and founder Secretary-General of African Caribbean Pacific Organization (ACP).

Ms. Botchwey also held meetings with the crown Prince of Tonga, HRH upoutoʻa ʻUlukalala and the country’s Prime Minister, Siaosi 'Ofakivahafolau Sovaleni.

Additionally, she held talks with Prime ministers Siame Naomi Mata’afa of Samoa, host of the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) where a new Secretary-General will be chosen in October to replace the current head, Baroness Patricia Scotland.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is expected to attend the Meeting.

Ms. Botchwey also met with the Prime Ministers Sitiveni Rabuka of Fiji; James Marape of Papua New Guinea; Feleti Teo of Tuvalu; Charlot Salwai of Vanuatu and Jeremiah Manele of Solomon Islands.

Others were New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, and the Foreign Minister of Nauru, Lionel Angimea.