CARICOM backs Ayorkor Botchwey as next Commonwealth Secretary-General

The 12 Commonwealth Caribbean nations have thrown their support behind Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey to become the next Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.

“We are willing to support the Ghanaian. The problem is that Africa hasn’t sorted itself out,” an official told Demerara Waves Online News.

The election for the top Commonwealth post to succeed incumbent Baroness Patricia Scotland will be held in October 2024 in Samoa, a country in the central South Pacific Ocean.

The source revealed that because the last African Secretary General of the 53-nation grouping, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, was from the West African country of Nigeria, many countries on that continent believed that it was time for someone from Southern Africa such as Lesotho whose candidate is Joshua Setipa. Dr. Mamadou Tangara of The Gambia, West Africa, is also vying for the post.

Ms Botchwey, who was in Guyana where she lobbied Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member-nations that are Commonwealth member states, said she was confident of the region’s support.

Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister, Gaston Brown said “We didn’t take a formal vote” on the Ghanaian candidate, but the general view was that she would be the preferred candidate at this time.

“The indication, based on what was said by various member states, is that Ghana seems to have the popular support of CARICOM,” he told reporters.

For her part, the Foreign Minister of Ghana related that she shared her vision for the Commonwealth with CARICOM’s foreign ministerial council and bilateral meetings with Commonwealth Caribbean leaders.

In response, Ms Botchwey said she has received indications of support. “I have had some firm pledges including Guyana,” she said. While she believed that the majority of Caribbean nations would be supporting her, she noted that “it’s early days yet.”

Her priorities, if elected, would include trade and investment by establishing a Free Trade Area to improve the levels of individual member states to the level of Developed Nations. “I believe that the Commonwealth should have a Free Trade Area. The countries are at different levels of development and so for us to pull up the developing countries to the level or as close as possible to the level where the Developed Countries within the Commonwealth are, it has to be trade, it has to be Foreign Direct Investment.

“It can never be aid; aid has never developed any country,” said Ms Botchwey who is the holder of an Executive Master in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Laws Degree.

Key to boosting trade, Ms Botchwey said, would be to improve air and maritime transportation as well as education to “feed” an industrialisation programme for Commonwealth member states to add value to their raw products. Her agenda, she said, would also focus on climate change, and renewable energy.

Ms Botchwey praised the current Commonwealth Secretary-General for strengthening the connection with member states in a variety of areas in promoting democracy, peace and dialogue.

“She has done a good job. She has done very well in terms of bringing the Commonwealth to a point where member states feel the benefits of the Commonwealth through the election observer teams, through what is called the Good Offices of the Secretary-General which proactively works to ensure that there is no conflict,” she said.

The Ghanaian candidate to succeed Baroness Scotland said a foundation has been laid for the latter’s successor, and there was a need to improve the Commonwealth of Learning, Commonwealth Foundation and other institutions.

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