Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey has launched a bid to be the next Commonwealth secretary-general, saying she wants to see a free-trade agreement among the 56 member nations.”A successful free trade agreement among Commonwealth member states would allow these states to reap the benefits of enhanced integration and participation in global and regional supply chains and boost their participation in the multilateral trading system,” Botchwey said on Friday in Accra after announcing her candidacy for the top role.The voluntary association of sovereign states comprises the United Kingdom and a number of former colonies. It promotes democratic governance, cooperation in trade, education, climate advocacy and the transparency of financial systems. Headed by King Charles III, the secretary-general is responsible for running the London-based secretariat.By convention, the secretary-general role is rotated around the body’s four geographical blocs: the Pacific, Asia, Europe and Africa. It is now Africa’s turn.Ghana’s foreign ministry said Botchwey has the backing of the continent’s African Union bloc, and “enjoys considerable support across all regions of the Commonwealth”.
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