By Sir Ronald Sanders KCMG KCN AM
USA / GUYANA – The family of Sir Shridath “Sonny” Ramphal is deeply saddened to announce his peaceful passing on 30 August, 2024, surrounded by his children.
Sir Shridath, born on October 3, 1928, in New Amsterdam, British Guiana (now Guyana), was a towering figure in international diplomacy and a cherished elder statesman of the Commonwealth and the Caribbean.
Educated at King’s College London and Gray’s Inn, London, Sir Shridath was predeceased by his beloved wife of 67 years, Lady Lois Ramphal, on September 20, 2019.
Sir Shridath’s distinguished career spanned numerous pivotal roles: Assistant attorney-general of the West Indies Federation; Minister of Justice and Foreign Affairs of Guyana; and, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.
Sir Shridath also held concurrent positions as Chancellor of the University of Guyana, the University of the West Indies, and Warwick University.
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,” remains a seminal blueprint for Caribbean development.
Globally respected, Sir Shridath served in various capacities, including 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; and 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 Sir Shridath: “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.”
In his later years, Sir Shridath continued to serve with distinction. At 92, amidst 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.
Sir Shridath was the recipient of numerous prestigious honours, including 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.
— Note: This announcement is made on behalf of Sir Shridath’s family by his son-in-law, Sir Ronald Sanders.
