Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, has been adjudged by Initiators of Change Foundation, as an Outstanding Foreign Affairs Minister of the Decade.

The award was presented to the Minister in Accra by a delegation from the Initiators of Change Foundation led by Reverend Dr Abogye-Mensah, Chairman of Board of Trustees.

Other members of the Initiators of Change Foundation delegation include Reverend Dr Nanayaa Owusu Prempeh, Trustee and Mr Kofi Gyan, Executive Director.

The delegation presented Madam Ayorkor Botchwey the "Lifetime in a Portrait Award" as an Outstanding Foreign Affairs Minister of the Decade, following her nomination as a recipient of the award.

Madam Ayorkor Botchwey thanked the Trustees and Management of the Initiators of Change Foundation for the award and noted that the recognition was a huge morale booster, for which she is very grateful.

She dedicated the award to her family and the staff of the Ministry, who had together been her bulwark and mainstay ever since she assumed office as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, nearly five years ago.

Madam Ayorkor Botchwey noted that public service was an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the improvement in the living standards of the citizenry and seized the occasion to thank the President for the privilege offered her to serve in Government.

She also paid tribute to her predecessors, who equally, distinguished themselves in the role and whose work had served as a good foundation in advancing Ghana's foreign policy objectives.

She commended the Foundation for its initiatives, which promote social cohesion, patriotism, national unity and development.

The Minister congratulated the Foundation for marking its 10 years anniversary in 2021 and wished the Trustees, Management as well as all its stakeholders many more happy anniversaries.

Madam Ayorkor Botchwey reiterated her avowed commitment to continue being of service to the nation.

On his part, Rev Dr Abogye-Mensah said the Minister's extensive knowledge in foreign policy gained from her long service at the Foreign Ministry since 2001 had been the cause of her outstanding contributions in the upgrade and expansion of services at Ghana Missions abroad and passport offices across the country.

He noted the award was in recognition of the positive impact the Minister and her team had made on the development of Ghana.

Initiators of Change Foundation is a non-governmental organization which was established in 2006 and duly registered in June 2008, incorporated under the Registrar General's Department with registration number G-24,713.

The Foundation is a governance, poverty reduction, empowerment and human resource development-based organization.