The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the passing of Sir Shridath Ramphal:
“It is with sadness that I learned of the passing of Sir Shridath Ramphal, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations.
The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB, the Bank) pays tribute to Sir Shridath “Sonny” Ramphal, a titan of Caribbean and global diplomacy, whose remarkable contributions to regional and international development have left an indelible mark on our history.
In marking the passing of Sir Shridath Ramphal, the second Commonwealth Secretary-General, who served from 1975 -1990, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, said:
It is with the greatest sorrow that we mourn the passing of Sir Shridath "Sonny" Ramphal. He was a giant of the Caribbean and one of the Commonwealth’s brightest lights.
Sir Shridath Surendranath Ramphal, born on October 3, 1928, died on August 30, 2024, was one of the most distinguished persons to have come from our Caribbean. He was born in colonial British Guiana (now Guyana) but belonged, in his life, living, and work, to the Caribbean, the Commonwealth, and the world. His life and work were in quest of a further ennoblement of our Caribbean civilisation and humanity, globally.
The CARICOM Secretariat is profoundly saddened at the passing of a stalwart of our Community, Sir Shridath “Sonny” Ramphal, on 30 August 2024.
In an illustrious career devoted to public service, Sir Shridath blazed a trail of excellence in diplomacy, law, academia and politics, earning respect and admiration in his homeland Guyana, elsewhere in the Caribbean Region, and across the Commonwealth of Nations.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) mourns the passing of Sir Shridath “Sonny” Ramphal, son of the Region and leading international statesman.
We laud his pivotal contributions to regional integration and development, as an eminent jurist, Minister of Government and Attorney-General in his native Guyana; Chancellor of the University of Guyana and The University of the West Indies; and Chief Negotiator for CARICOM on External Trade Relations.