Former Commonwealth Secretary-General Sir Shridath Ramphal has died, family members confirmed on Friday.
Born on October 3, 1928, in New Amsterdam, British Guiana (now Guyana), Sir Shridath has been hailed as a figure of remarkable achievement and a symbol of enduring hope and unity for the Commonwealth and the Caribbean.
In addition to serving as Commonwealth Secretary General, he held several other prestigious positions.
They included the Assistant Attorney-General of the West Indies Federation, the Minister of Justice and Foreign Affairs of Guyana, the Chancellor of the University of Guyana, the University of the West Indies, and Warwick University.
He was 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.
Guyana’s President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, declared that Sir Shridath’s passing marked the end of an era not only for Guyana, but the Caribbean, and the Commonwealth of Nations.
“We mourn the loss of an outstanding statesman, a regionalist par excellence, and a committed internationalist,” Ali said.
The Guyana President said Sir Shridath’s life was one of ‘magnificent’ service to his homeland, the region, and the world.
Similarly, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley observed that Sir Shridath, born in Guyana, left a formidable footprint in virtually every nation in this region.
“If ever there was one who walked among us who truly deserved the title of Caribbean Man, it was Sir Shridath Ramphal,” Mottley observed.
“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,” she noted.
