Source: Loop
Sir Shridath “Sonny” Ramphal, the former Guyana government minister and Commonwealth secretary general, died Friday, according to a statement issued by his family. He was 95 years old.
According to the statement, Sir Shridath “a towering figure in international diplomacy and a cherished elder statesman of the Commonwealth and the Caribbean,” died surrounded by his children.
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.