Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, former Minister for Foreign Affairs, has officially assumed office as Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.
She is pledging to advance the values of the Commonwealth Charter in a world marked by rising tensions and shifting alliances.
According to an official statement from the Commonwealth Secretariat, Madam Botchwey, who succeeds Patricia Scotland, is the first African woman and the second African overall to lead the association of 56 countries.
The Commonwealth represents a third of the world’s population and more than a quarter of the United Nations membership.
Speaking at the Commonwealth Secretariat’s headquarters in London on April 1, the Secretary General underscored the significance of the Commonwealth’s role in addressing global economic and political challenges.
