Ghana's foreign minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey will be the next Commonwealth Secretary-General.She was elected by Commonwealth Heads of Government on Saturday at their biennial retreat in Apia, capital of Samoa, the Pacific island nation."I stand before you with a profound sense of gratitude and humility as I accept the responsibility of this position," Ms.
Botchwey said in her prepared acceptance remarks."I feel deeply honoured to be elected as the 7th Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.
She said I will do everything in my power to be worthy of your confidence and trust.Ms.
Botchwey, 61, Ghana's foreign minister for nearly eight years, will replace Baroness Patricia Scotland on April 1, 2025. Scotland, a British-Dominican, was first elected in 2016 and is completing her two-term limit."By electing me, the second successive woman to occupy the position of Secretary-General, the Heads of Government have continued the tradition of the Commonwealth as a history-making organization," Ms.