Sir Ronald Sanders KCMG KCN AM

The family of Sir Shridath “Sonny” Ramphal is deeply saddened to announce his peaceful
passing on 30th 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. He also held concurrent positions as
Chancellor of the University of Guyana, the University of the West Indies, and Warwick
University.

He 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. 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.”

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.

30th August 2024

Note: This announcement is made on behalf of Sir Shridath’ s family by his son-in-law, Sir Ronald Sanders. Sir Ronald can be contacted at +1 202 436 0052 or via email at [email protected]