Guyana’s PRESIDENT Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali has announced that a National Funeral of Honour will be held for the late Sir Shridath Surendranath Ramphal, OE, OCC, GCMG, AM, on Saturday, September 14, 2024. The national funeral will pay tribute to the esteemed diplomat and former Commonwealth Secretary-General, celebrating his extraordinary contributions to Guyana, the Caribbean, the Commonwealth, and the wider world. The funeral service will be held at the Promenade Gardens in Georgetown, commencing at 15:00 hrs.
Following the service, Sir Shridath will be interred at The Place of the Seven Ponds in the Botanical Gardens, a site reserved for Guyana’s most revered national figures. The ceremony will include full ceremonial tributes befitting his monumental legacy, highlighting his role in preserving Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and his impact on global diplomacy.
The government has invited all citizens to attend the funeral and pay their final respects to Sir Shridath, whose vision and dedication have left an indelible mark on the nation. The government said that his passing marks the end of an era, but his contributions to the country and his influence on the international stage will continue to inspire generations to come.
In a statement, Sir Shridath’s family said that he passed away on August 30, 2024 at the age of 95. He was born on October 3, 1928, in New Amsterdam, British Guiana (now Guyana).
They said that he was educated at King’s College London and Gray’s Inn, London, and was predeceased by his beloved wife of 67 years, Lady Lois Ramphal, on September 20, 2019.
“His 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,” the statement added.
According to the missive, 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. The family said that 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, the statement noted.
It continued: “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.
