Inaugural address from the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Hon Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, on assuming office on 1 April 2025.
My dear friends, citizens of the Commonwealth of Nations, as I assume the office of Secretary General of our Commonwealth, today, I wanted to begin the day by speaking with you as a fellow citizen.
I do so with deep humility, but also inspired by the possibilities of what we can do to transform the lives of all who live in the Commonwealth.
The world we woke up to today is unlike any we have seen in the lifetimes of many of our 2.7 billion people.
The consequences of lower economic growth, increased defense expenditures, and a frayed multilateralism will affect our pockets directly, increase unemployment and poverty, reduce social protection, and weaken our resilience to shocks, whether climate or economic.
The value of our Commonwealth stands in bold relief, in a time like this.
Our ambitions cannot be limited by old prescriptions.
As an organisation based on common values. We can work for our common well-being as a multilateralism of the willing, and we must begin by standing with those member states that are daily targets of attack.
We must seize the moment to realise the transformation our societies seek.
Trade and investment hold the key to our economic transformation. By seeing the Commonwealth market as a key to expanding industrialisation, trade and services for all our countries, industrialised or developing, big or small, we can unlock extraordinary opportunities driving prosperity, creating jobs and lifting up communities.
I am determined that we will continue to empower our women and young people with the tools, knowledge and opportunities they need to succeed.
Closing the digital gap means opening doors to education, healthcare and economic opportunity.
It is also the moment for innovation and strategic partnerships, especially with the private sector and research institutions, in the face of the greatest challenge of our times, climate change.
For so many of our member states, the impacts are already devastating.
Our response must be bold, urgent, smart and united for a green and just future. And we must work together with other multilateral bodies to transform the international financial system, taking into account the critical issues of climate and other vulnerabilities.
Let me conclude on a personal note.
It is a great honour to be the first African woman to serve as Secretary-General.
As a daughter of Ghana, the first African country to join the Commonwealth. I feel a deep personal connection to our family of nations.
As I take on this role, I do so with profound optimism and unwavering belief in what we can achieve together.
With the support of our team at the Secretariat drawn from all across the Commonwealth, I will work every day to honour and repay the trust and confidence which has been placed in me.
The challenges we face are real and serious, but together we are more than equal to them, sustained by the values that bind us, democracy, good governance, peace, human rights and equal opportunity for all, we will build a future in which opportunity, dignity and prosperity are within reach for all.
So let us move forward with purpose, with courage, and with an unshakable commitment to a Commonwealth that truly thrives, together.
New Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey pledges to advance Commonwealth values in a divided world
