The Commonwealth Secretariat at Marlborough House. [photo: Alamy]
[These three excerpts are from a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) article. The article put a range of questions to candidates for the role of Commonwealth Secretary-General. These excerpts have been shared with the kind permission of the CPA. The full articles are available on the CPA website.]
Candidate from Lesotho
Senator Joshua Setipa is from Lesotho. He was recently Senior Director of Strategy, Portfolio, Partnerships and Digital Division at the Commonwealth Secretariat and his candidacy has been endorsed by the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Question: What are your main plans and priorities for the job of Secretary-General of the Commonwealth?
My main plans and priorities are to work under three pillars with cross-cutting themes and enablers and to reform the Secretariat.
Pillar 1 – Sustainable development – I will leverage partnership networks and the Commonwealth’s convening power to encourage increased investments in Green and Blue Economies across the Commonwealth. I will double support to member countries and mobilise increased resources to assist with access to the Climate Finance Access Hub. 33 of the world’s 42 small states are Commonwealth members. I will continue to campaign for special attention to their unique development challenges. Mobilise support for member states to undertake policy formulation, regulatory frameworks towards strengthening sustainability in natural resources management.
Pillar 2 – Inclusive growth – International trade – Unlocking the full potential of intra-Commonwealth trade, currently at US$566billion. Will improve intra-Commonwealth investment flows by mobilising extensive support to members to improve investment environment and policy predictability and administrative capacity.
Debt management – Will mobilize increased resources towards debt management support member states by enhancing the capacity. Reinvest in the utility of Meridian. Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) – The MSME sector provides almost 50% of the workforce and contributes 20%-50% of economic output. Will mobilise increased support to SMEs to enhance capacity to trade across the Commonwealth.
Pillar 3 – Governance – Democracy – Enhance whole of election cycle approach to include collaboration with regional organisations and strengthen participation of underrepresented groups in political processes in line with the political values of the Charter.
Human Rights – Advancing policy reform enforcement capacity, providing support to National Human Rights Organisations, addressing issues of inclusion, economic empowerment of women and preventing modern slavery.
Rule of Law – Enhance support for cyber security, anti-corruption and the judiciary to support member states to uphold constitutional values and democratic principles, and administration of justice.
Public Sector Reforms – Ensure more citizen-centric and responsive, deploy to support national priorities, and minimize duplication to ensure greater policy coherence.
Cross-cutting themes – All programme design and delivery to include youth, gender, persons with disabilities, indigenous people and marginalised communities to ensure enhanced opportunities and access to resources.
Enablers – Partnerships – Enhance collaboration with member states, Commonwealth Foundation, Commonwealth of Learning, Accredited Organisations, International Organisations, Private Sector to align with Commonwealth Secretariat’s mandate to amplify impact.
Technology (Data, Innovation and AI) – Capitalize on digital innovation to address the current digital divide, advocate for data driven innovation and decision making, harness the use of AI to accelerate development, ensuring it is transparent, safe and ethical.
Strengthening the Secretariat – Structural Reforms to enhance equity and regional representation within the Commonwealth Secretariat by appointing three Deputy Secretaries-General from different regions in consultation with the Board of Governors.
A collaborative and needs assessment approach to Programme Delivery, informed by member states’ national priorities to ensure that planning aligns with the CHOGM mandate and design, and delivery is in consultation with the Board of Governors.
To enhance Transparency, Efficiency and Accountability, through a comprehensive review of the Secretariat’s financial, administrative and operational systems.
Financial reforms to ensure Sustainable Funding by enhancing the Secretariat’s capacity to mobilise resources, revisiting Abuja Guidelines and strengthening partnerships with Commonwealth of Learning, Commonwealth Foundation and the Public & Private Sector.
Candidate from Ghana
Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey is from Ghana. A lawyer, diplomat and politician, she has been the Foreign Minister of Ghana since 2017. Her previous roles include Deputy Foreign Minister, Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry and a Member of the Ghana Parliament.
Question: What are your main plans and priorities for the job of Secretary-General of the Commonwealth?
The members of the Commonwealth want an institution that is relevant to their efforts to build resilience – democratic resilience, economic resilience and climate resilience. To realise that goal, there is a need for a transformative vision, strategic partnerships and the revival of confidence and support of the Member Countries. This is fundamental for mobilizing the required resources.
I have accordingly proposed six areas for repositioning the organisation to respond to the expectations of the hundreds of millions across the Commonwealth for a decent and fulfilling life. These are:
- Democracy, Commonwealth Values and Realising the Democratic Dividend
- Trade and Investment
- Youth, Education, Skills, Innovation and Start Ups
- Climate Change
- Small Island Developing States and Small States
- Managing resources for an Effective Commonwealth Institution.
Candidate from The Gambia
Dr Mamadou Tangara from The Gambia. A Gambian diplomat and politician, he is the current Minister of Foreign Affairs (2018 to present, previously served in 2012 and from 2010–2012) and former Gambian Permanent Representative to the United Nations (2017-2018 and 2013–2016).
Question: What are your main plans and priorities for the job of Secretary-General of the Commonwealth?
The Commonwealth of Nations as a community is futile without its backbone of effective Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)/Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and its outreach representatives in remote communities of member states providing useful materials and human resources in the areas of capacity building to consolidate cultural and human rights values as well as democratic gains. Strengthening cooperation and deepening bilateral relations between Commonwealth member states and the Commonwealth Secretariat through the various Ministerial Committee Meetings in order to maximize the economic interchange and trade between states to end poverty, increase economic growth and mitigate global and common crises affecting the Commonwealth will be one of my main priorities.
The Commonwealth with its historical affinity and experiences has endeared the world to its endless possibilities and the organisation has from its inception placed a high premium of importance on encouraging its Member States to provide a free, transparent and democratic space to its people. My priority will also be to translate the Commonwealth’s human rights policies into actions, spearhead crucial reforms and create inclusivity and equality within the Commonwealth. We can also effectively harness our comparative advantage while promoting the values enshrined in our impressive Commonwealth Charter. We can also look forward to nurturing our cultural diplomacy to enrich our common values and demonstrate inclusive growth which are mutually reinforcing.
The full CPA article on the next Commonwealth Secretary-General
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