Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey

Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey (born 8 February 1963) is a Ghanaian politician, diplomat and lawyer who has served as the seventh secretary-general of the Commonwealth of Nations since 1 April 2025. At the time of her appointment, she was Ghana's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration. She was appointed foreign minister by Ghanaian president Nana Akufo-Addo on 10 January 2017. Previously, she was a Member of Parliament for Anyaa-Sowutuom from 2013 to 2021 and had served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and a Minister of State at the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing under John Kufuor. She is a member of the New Patriotic Party.

== Early life and education ==

Born in Accra, Ghana, Botchwey had her secondary education at St. Mary's Girls' Senior High School at Korle Gonno. She studied at the University of Ghana Business School, the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), the Pitman's Central College, University of London and University of Westminster.

She holds an Executive MBA (Project Management option), MA in Public Communication, Bachelor of Law Degree (LLB), a Diploma in Public Relations and...