In September 2024, six weeks before Member States decided who would be their next Secretary-General, the Commonwealth Foundation co-hosted a debate between the three declared candidates: Mamadou Tangara of The Gambia, Shirley Botchwey from Ghana, and Joshua Setipa of Lesotho. The debate, which was held at Chatham House in London and moderated by esteemed broadcast journalist Zeinab Badawi, attracted a full house and captivated thousands more watching online.
In the lead-up to the debate, we reached out to thousands of civil society representatives for their questions about, and visions for, the future of the Commonwealth. Four pressing questions emerged from this engagement, focusing on reform, reparations, freedom of expression, and the role of civil society. We posed those questions to the candidates and published their unedited responses online.
Below are the responses of Shirley Botchwey (SB) from Ghana, who, on 26 October, was elected to the post of Secretary-General. Her answers provide unique insights into her plans and aspirations for the future of the Commonwealth.
The Foundation looks forward to mediating future engagement between the next Secretary-General and Commonwealth civil society. In the meantime, we invite all those who care about the future of the Commonwealth and its identity as an organisation that exists for the people, as well as for Member States, to read and disseminate the document that distils the voice of the People on that future. We also encourage you to watch the document’s companion video.
There has been some appreciation among the candidates for Secretary-General of the need to change how the Commonwealth Secretariat functions. What would be your priorities in your first hundred days?
SB: My first 100 days will be largely informed by the roadmap that I intend to develop, as a product of a formal transition process, involving the best minds and talents across the Commonwealth, including representation from civil society groups, women, youth academia and the business sector. Working with the incumbent Secretary- General and the Commonwealth Secretariat, the transition team will help draft proposals and actions, identifying timelines, resources needed, including types of expertise and funding needed to shape programmes to meet the transformative vision that emerged from my campaign. The roadmap will focus on Democracy, Commonwealth Values, and Realizing the Democratic Dividend, Trade and Investment, Youth, Education, Skills, Innovation, and Start-ups, Climate Change, Small Island Developing States & Small States and Managing Resources for an Effective Commonwealth Institution.
What would you expect to be visibly different about the Secretariat within the first two or three years of your term? In other words, how would you measure your success in this area?
SB: We need a united Commonwealth to rally around the goal of transformation, both in terms of resilience building across our countries and the ability of the Commonwealth Secretariat to support that goal. That requires political will and funding from all Member Countries.
You have supported reparations for historical harms associated with slavery and colonialism. How do you think the Commonwealth could take this forward in a practical way?
SB: There are serious processes underway today in international and multilateral institutions we belong to, including the United Nations, the Africa Union and CARICOM for Reparative Justice. The Commonwealth should not duplicate those processes. It can however be part of the policy dialogue and reflect their outcomes in programming. It is important to note that our success in realizing reforms in the global finance and governance architecture, in addressing the debt crises in Commonwealth countries and in agreeing to a new development cooperation model that works for both rich and poorer States, contributes to realizing reparative justice.
You have been explicit in your support of freedom of expression throughout the Commonwealth. What would that support look like, in practice?
SB: Today, the world is facing the challenge of making technology work for strengthening democracy, including safeguarding democracies, communities and individuals from hate speech, disinformation and misinformation calculated to undermine democratic freedoms, including freedom of expression. The Commonwealth Secretariat should be a leader in sharing best practices and promoting Commonwealth-wide standard setting for protecting and promoting freedom of expression, while developing targeted approaches to regulate and prevent abuse. As Secretary-General, I would use my good offices to ensure support for legitimate expression. The Commonwealth could also provide support for human rights defenders, activists, and journalists through legal assistance, asylum, or other protective measures when they face persecution for their work.
You have also voiced your explicit support for the role and importance of civil society in the Commonwealth. What immediate steps would you take to enhance the standing of civil society in the Commonwealth system?
SB: I am committed to establishing more structured, more accessible regular, formal consultative meetings with Civil Soceity Organisations (CSOs) to give them greater influence in programming and implementation. As part of my vision for strategic partnerships, supporting the empowerment of civil society at country level will be a major objective. This will extend the collaboration between the Secretariat and civil society beyond those entities affiliated to the Commonwealth to local NGOs, especially to strengthen good governance. With a more enhanced resource envelope, we shall allocate greater financial support and technical assistance ato CSOs, including grants, training programs, and access to resources that help civil society organizations improve their capacity to advocate effectively and engage with governments. I will also work with member states to ensure that laws governing civil society organizations are supportive of their work. By strengthening partnerships with CSOs and fostering an environment where their contributions are valued, we can work together to build a more responsive and resilient Commonwealth that empowers its people at all levels.
