Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has held meetings with the Mauritian Prime Minister, Pravind Jugnauth, and Foreign Minister Maneesh Gobin, in the capital, Port Louis, and discussed bilateral issues, and her agenda as candidate for Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.
“We had a very fruitful meeting. Our two countries have very close bonds,” Ms. Botchwey told journalists after the meeting with Mr. Jugnauth which was held behind closed doors.
“I also presented my candidacy and vision for the commonwealth”, she said, highlighting democracy and good governance; the threat of climate change to Small Island Developing States such as Mauritius, skills-training and jobs for young people, and trade and investment among member-countries – along lines similar to that of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Significantly, Ghana is due to hold an investment promotion event in Mauritius later this month (26-27th). The event is at the initiative of the Ghanaian Consulate in collaboration with the Economic Development Board of Mauritius (EDBM), and is under the theme “Ghana, the preferred Investment Destination in W. Africa.”
In her meeting with her counterpart, Ms. Botchwey who has been an advocate for more intra-Commonwealth trade and investment, complimented Trinidad and Tobago whose Republic Bank has established a trans-Atlantic footprint in Ghana and elsewhere in Africa.
“This must be encouraged; we must see more of this in the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth is at a crossroads. The Commonwealth is a very important organization with immense potential yet to be fully realized,” she said.
The Commonwealth comprises 56 countries with a population of 2.6 billion people and a combined annual output of over US$13 trillion.
Ms. Botchwey referred to current political unrest in some Commonwealth countries, and reiterated the importance of good governance and democracy, supported and made relevant by what she called “the democratic dividend”.
This refers to economic advantages – such as greater investments, employment opportunities, innovation, and human development – that should accrue to democratic countries and benefit their citizens and, in her words, “especially the youth.”
Ms. Botchwey and Mr. Gobin expressed concern over the destabilizing threats posed by misinformation and disinformation on social media to commonwealth nations, particularly for multi-ethnic and multicultural countries. `
Ms. Botchwey’s grasp of governance and policy issues includes the benefits and potential harm of mass media, having served as deputy minister for information as well as communications, prior to her appointment to the deputy foreign minister portfolio in 2005.
Mr. Gobin and Ms. Botchwey flagged a number of bilateral issues and projects whose implementation were pending, including a “smart city” project in Ghana, an air services agreement, and a circular migration protocol.
Circular migration enables citizens of two or more countries to migrate to work in a partner country under a legal and regulated arrangement.
Ms. Botchwey would become the first female African Commonwealth Secretary-General after Chief Emeka Anyaoku of Nigeria if she’s elected by Heads of Government at their summit in Samoa in October.
Ms. Botchwey has been Ghana’s minister for foreign affairs and regional integration and a member of the country’s Security Council since 2017. She was a four-term legislator, high ranking member of the ECOWAS parliament and former Chair of the regional body’s Council of Ministers.
Ghana was the first African country to join the Commonwealth in 1957 after independence from Britain.
