Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Ghana's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, became victorious in the fiercely contested Commonwealth Secretary-General election.

The Heads of Government who voted at a retreat in Apia gave her a resounding majority in the election. She is the first African woman to be appointed as the organization's leader, with 2.7 billion members.

"Thankful to Commonwealth leaders for their trust," wrote Madam Ayokor Boatche in an artwork shared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' X page.


In a post on X by the official handle of the Secretariat, @commonwealthsec, the minister was selected by the Commonwealth Heads of Government at the meeting.

“Today at #CHOGM2024, Commonwealth Heads of Government have selected the Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, currently the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana, as the incoming Secretary-General of the Commonwealth,” the post read.