Caribbean statesman Sir Shridath Ramphal dies at 95
Sir Shridath “Sonny” Ramphal, a towering Caribbean statesman who Nelson Mandela once praised for his work in human justice, has died at 95.
His family announced his peaceful passing yesterday. Sir Shridath was born in New Amsterdam, British Guiana (now Guyana) in 1928 and became a prominent figure in international diplomacy and an elder statesman of the Commonwealth and the Caribbean.
In a distinctive career, Sir Shridath held numerous pivotal roles, including assistant Attorney General of the West Indies Federation, Minister of Justice and Foreign Affairs of Guyana, and Secretary-General of the Commonwealth. He also held concurrent positions as Chancellor of the University of Guyana, the University of the West Indies, and Warwick University.
He was educated at King’s College, London and Gray’s Inn, London. He lost his wife of 67 years, Lady Lois Ramphal, in 2019.
Reacting to the news yesterday, Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Dr Amery Browne said, “Sir Shridath served his nation, our region, the Commonwealth, and all of humanity with great distinction and tremendous dignity. I salute the life and service of a master diplomat and great son of the Guyanese soil, in whom we should all be immensely proud.”
Sir Shridath was the only individual to have served on all the Global Commissions that produced landmark reports on the environment, development and disarmament between 1980 and 1995. As chairman of the West Indian Commission, his 1992 report, Time for Action, was a seminal blueprint for Caribbean development.
He also served as president of the World Conservation Union, special adviser to the UN Conference on Environment and Development, and chief negotiator for the Caribbean on External Economic Relations. He was also a mediator and facilitator in elections and constitutional crises.
As the longest-serving Commonwealth Secretary-General from 1975 to 1990, Sir Shridath was instrumental in the fight against institutional racism in Southern Africa, playing a key role in the termination of apartheid in South Africa.
Nelson Mandela once said of him: “He is one of those men who have become famous because, in their fight for human justice, they have chosen the whole world as their theatre.”
His work continued long into retirement. At 92, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he was the first lawyer to appear virtually before the International Court of Justice, representing Guyana in a significant border dispute with Venezuela.
Among the recognition he received were the Order of the Caribbean Community (OCC), the Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George (GCMG), the Order of Excellence of Guyana (OE), the Order of Merit of Jamaica (OM), the Order of the Companions of Oliver Tambo from South Africa, Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), and an appointment to the Order of New Zealand, New Zealand’s highest civil honour.
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