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 a 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 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 advocated 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 organisation 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, before her appointment to the deputy foreign
minister portfolio in 2005.
Mr. Gobin and Ms. Botchwey flagged several bilateral issues and projects whose
implementation was 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.
Source: Peacefmonline.com