Commonwealth elects Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey as new secretary-general By Reuters
APIA (Reuters) – Commonwealth members have elected Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey as secretary-general of the 56-nation group led by Britain's King Charles, the Commonwealth said on Saturday, on the final day of a summit in Samoa attended by Charles and Queen Camilla.
Representatives of countries, most of them with roots in the British Empire, attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting that began in the Pacific Island on Monday, where slavery and the threat of climate change emerged as major themes.
“Today at #CHOGM2024, Commonwealth Heads of Government have chosen the Honorable Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, currently Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana, as the next Secretary-General of the Commonwealth,” the Commonwealth said in X.
Botchwey, who is a supporter of reparations for transatlantic slavery and colonialism, takes over from Patricia Scotland of Britain, who has served since 2016.
Earlier on Saturday, the British king and queen flew out of Samoa, after a visit where the king acknowledged the Commonwealth's “painful” history, while demanding that former colonial powers pay reparations for their role in Atlantic slavery.
Charles and Camilla left Samoa at around 12pm on a Royal Australian Air Force flight, saying goodbye as they boarded the plane at Apia's Faleolo International Airport.
Before they left, the royals attended a farewell ceremony in Siumu village, which was raining heavily.
Charles said on Friday in his speech to the conference that he understood “from listening to people across the Commonwealth how the most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate”.
“Therefore, it is important that we understand our history, to guide us in making the right decisions in the future,” he said.
Pressure for former colonial countries such as Britain to pay reparations or make other amends for slavery and its legacies today is intense around the world, especially between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the African Union.
Those who oppose reinstatement argue that states should not be held responsible for historical wrongs, while those who support them argue that the legacy of slavery has led to deep and persistent racial inequality.
The British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, who is at the conference, rejected the appeals to be returned and canceled and to apologize for the role he played in the country's history.
The King and Queen's time in Samoa followed a six-day tour of Australia, where huge crowds turned out to see the royal couple at the Sydney Opera (NASDAQ:) House. Charles also met with Aboriginal elders in Sydney, after being disturbed by an Aboriginal senator in Canberra.
