Guyana's Sir Shridath Ramphal, esteemed international statesman, dies at 95

His ‘unwavering commitment to advancing regional integration and global diplomacy [has] left an indelible mark’

Originally published on Global Voices

On August 30, a mere 12 days after the death of beloved singer/songwriter Dave Martins, Guyana — and the wider region — lost another regional luminary. Sir Shridath “Sonny” Ramphal, respected attorney, politician and diplomat, passed away peacefully at the age of 95, surrounded by his children, his wife of 67 years having died five years prior.

Born on October 3, 1928, to an Indian family that had emigrated to then British Guiana under the indentureship system, Ramphal was educated at both King’s College and Gray’s Inn, London. He became, as his official death announcement stated, “a towering figure in international diplomacy and a cherished elder statesman of the Commonwealth and the Caribbean.”

Though Ramphal admitted he “wasn’t a terribly serious student as a youngster,” his father assured him that law and history would be “a great foundation” for anything he wanted to do in life. James Ramphal was a schoolmaster who “managed to persuade the colonial authorities to take a more progressive approach to the matter of educating Indian girls.” He passed on to his son a deep appreciation for the value of education and the satisfaction of making a difference in the lives of others.

Early on in Ramphal's career, which coincided with the region's independence movement, he was the assistant attorney general of the West Indies Federation from 1958 to 1962. His passion for constitutional law intersected with what he called “a great movement that was taking place in the Caribbean […] the movement for federalism.” The region's attempt at federation would be short-lived; Guyana eventually became independent from Britain in 1966.

From 1972 to 1975, Ramphal served as Guyana's justice and foreign minister, a position that was followed by his appointment as Commonwealth Secretary-General. He was only the second person to hold the post and, quite notably, remains the longest-serving secretary-general to date, having held the position from 1975 to 1990.

During his tenure in that role, Ramphal worked hard in the fight for racial equality. His role in the struggle to end apartheid was most recently acknowledged in Season 4, Episode 8 of Netflix's series “The Crown,” in which British actor Tony Jayawardena played Ramphal.

In an article Ramphal wrote for “The Round Table,” the Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs, Ramphal recalled:

My years as […] Secretary-General [saw] the Commonwealth tested acutely and directly on the racial front. The two significant cases were Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and South Africa. Southern Rhodesia was controlled by a white minority that had disenfranchised its black majority. The task was to ensure that it was not granted independence from Britain before majority African rule. In South Africa, the odious system of apartheid persisted and the leaders of the African majority, notably Nelson Mandela, were in prison. The majority of Commonwealth countries and their leaders were determined that this wrong should not prevail.

Ramphal and Mandela shared a deep respect and admiration for each other. At an event in Abuja, Nigeria, in 1990, the latter said of his friend:

Some men have become famous because of the service they have given to their countries, others have become well known because of the manner in which they have taken up issues affecting their regions, and others have become famous because in their fight for human justice, they have chosen the entire world as their theatre. Shridath Ramphal is one of those men.

Ramphal continued to forge new paths wherever life took him. He was, among other things, the only person to have served on every global commission between 1980 and 1995 that produced landmark reports on the environment, development, and disarmament. Having also served as chair of the West Indian Commission, his 1992 report “Time for Action” is widely considered a blueprint for Caribbean development.

Ramphal was well regarded as a statesman not only of the Caribbean region but of the world. Over the years, he served as President of the World Conservation Union, Special Adviser to the United Nations (UN) Conference on Environment and Development, and Chief Negotiator for the Caribbean on External Economic Relations. He also held concurrent positions as Chancellor of the University of Guyana, the University of the West Indies, and Warwick University. He was a sought-after mediator when it came to electoral issues and constitutional crises.

Fifteen years ago, on the occasion of Ramphal's 80th birthday, a Stabroek News editorial noted the importance of “his output as a writer,” which, apart from numerous monographs, included several books. In 2014, Ramphal published his autobiography, “Glimpses of a Global Life.”

The editorial also admired the fact that “for all his service to the world, […] Sir Shridath has never deserted either the region or his homeland.” A true Caribbean man, he chaired the West Indian Commission at the start of the 1990s, became the first Director-General of the Regional Negotiating Machinery in 1997, and added his “considerable voice” to the criticism of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the Cariforum countries and the European Union.

In his later years, Ramphal remained active, leading Guyana’s legal team at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, which ruled on a maritime boundary issue in 2008. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, he was the first lawyer to appear virtually before the International Court of Justice, representing Guyana in its ongoing border dispute with Venezuela:

#Historical moment. Sir #ShridathRamphal makes #virtual presentation to the International Court of Justice for #Guyana against #Venezuela‘s claim for Guyana territory. https://t.co/RGDxYbJXOE

— Maria Rivas-McMillan (@Panyol) July 1, 2020

In a reflection published in the Jamaica Gleaner in 2022, Ramphal offered a telling insight into his worldview, explaining, “I am too old to be [an] activist; but not too old to urge. And when the urging is about human existence — perhaps the years impose a duty.”

In 2023, on the 50th anniversary of the Caribbean Community, the CARICOM Secretariat shared a video about Sir Ramphal:

As news of his death became known, social media users worldwide began to share tributes.

Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) posted on X (formerly Twitter):

We send our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Sir Shridath Ramphal, especially to my friend @Sirronsanders and his wife, and also to the Government and people of his native Guyana and the @commonwealthsecr he served between 1975 and 1990. The Caribbean, the… pic.twitter.com/LqGXe3ZorY

— Luis Almagro (@Almagro_OEA2015) August 30, 2024

President of the Guyana Press Association Nazima Raghubir tweeted:

Guyana-born former Commonwealth Secretary General and international statesman Sir Shridath Ramphal has passed away at the age of 95. He was a beloved elder statesman of the Caribbean and the Commonwealth, as well as a towering presence in international diplomacy. pic.twitter.com/NTNqyo1Rdi

— Samuel Sukhnandan (@sukhnandangy) August 30, 2024

On Facebook, the page Little Guyana-592 News noted that “his journey began in the humble surroundings of his hometown and evolved into a global odyssey marked by compassion, wisdom, and tireless service.” A former mayor of Georgetown, Guyana's capital, felt that “his tireless efforts and unwavering commitment to advancing regional integration and global diplomacy [has] left an indelible mark on the world stage.”

Jamaican Jean Lowrie-Smith called Ramphal “a great Caribbean visionary,” and Ganesh Mahipaul urged his compatriots to “do like Sonny and leave a legacy where many if not all will speak greatly about you.”

Ramphal was held in such high esteem that in 2021, when Barbados’ Caribbean Wax Museum unveiled just six wax figures of eminent Caribbean people in honour of CARICOM Day, his likeness was among them.

Barbados is also home to the Shridath Ramphal Centre at the University of the West Indies’ Cave Hill campus; it is pegged as the region's premier trade policy institution. The Centre posted its condolences on its main page, saying, “His life and work have continuously inspired and guided our efforts across all three pillars of our mission: teaching, research, and advocacy.” It also promised to “determine a fitting way to honour and celebrate the life and legacy of this remarkable Caribbean trade professional whose influence spanned the globe.”

Mia Mottley, Barbados’ prime minister, posted a touching tribute on Instagram:

If ever there was one who walked among us who truly deserved the title of Caribbean Man, it was Sir Shridath Ramphal.

At the same time, if ever we needed a definition of the term Global Citizen, a look at the resume of Sir Shridath would be all we require. […]

As a region, we have produced many outstanding leaders in a multitude of areas — great men and women who made it clear to the world that we would never be defined or confined by our size. But there is a smaller group that stands at the pinnacle of Caribbean greatness, people whose lifetime of labour for the betterment of West Indian people has compelled us to view them, not by the country of their birth, but by their efforts to make us recognise and honour our oneness.

Sir Shridath, that is how we shall remember you.

An X user from St. Lucia said:

We mourn the loss of Sir Shridath Ramphal, an influential figure in Caribbean diplomacy. His outstanding contributions to regional cooperation and unity have left an enduring impact that will continue to guide and motivate future leaders across the Caribbean. pic.twitter.com/fnO7FY3JrK

— Katzlyn S.A. Samson (@KatzlynS) August 30, 2024

Over the course of his long life, Ramphal received many honours, including Guyana's highest national award, Jamaica's Order of Merit, and the Order of the Caribbean Community, a CARICOM award given to “Caribbean nationals whose legacy in the economic, political, social and cultural metamorphoses of Caribbean society is phenomenal.” He was twice knighted (first in 1970, then as a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George in 1990) and received various honours from other countries, including South Africa, India, and New Zealand. In 2002, he was awarded the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize.

While the tributes and remembrances of a life well lived continued to pour in, one Facebook user summed up Ramphal's impact in just a few words — “Ave Atque Vale, Shridath Ramphal,” meaning “Hail and farewell” — an oft-cited Latin phrase when eulogising heroes.

Written by Janine Mendes-Franco