Commonwealth elects Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey as new Secretary General

APIA – Commonwealth members elected Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey as secretary general of the 56-nation club headed by Britain’s King Charles, the Commonwealth said on Saturday, the final day of a summit in Samoa attended by Charles and the Queen Camilla.

Representatives of the countries, most with roots in the British empire, attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting that began in the Pacific island nation on Monday, with slavery and the threat of climate change emerging as major themes.

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

Botchwey, a supporter of reparations for transatlantic slavery and colonialism, replaces the British Patricia Scotland, who has held the position since 2016.

Earlier on Saturday, Britain’s king and queen left Samoa, following a visit in which the monarch acknowledged the Commonwealth’s “painful” history, amid pressure for former colonial powers to pay reparations for his role in transatlantic slavery.

Charles and Camilla left Samoa around 12pm local time on a Royal Australian Air Force plane and waved goodbye as they boarded the plane at Apia’s Faleolo International Airport.

Before leaving, the royal couple attended a farewell ceremony in the village of Siumu, which took place in heavy rain.

Charles said Friday in a speech at the summit that he understood “from listening to people across the Commonwealth how the most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate.”

“It is vital, therefore, that we understand our history, to guide us towards making the right decisions in the future,” he said.

Pressure for former colonial powers like Britain to pay reparations or make other reparations for slavery and its legacies has today gained momentum around the world, particularly among the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the African Union.

Opponents of reparations say countries should not be held responsible for historical wrongs, while those in favor say the legacy of slavery has led to vast and persistent racial inequality.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is at the summit, rejected calls for reparations and ruled out apologizing for the country’s historic role.

The King and Queen’s stay in Samoa followed a six-day tour of Australia, where large crowds turned out to see the royal couple at the Sydney Opera House. Charles also met with Indigenous elders in Sydney, after being interrupted by an Indigenous senator in Canberra. REUTERS