Opposition statement on passing of Sir Shridath Ramphal

STATEMENT BY THE LEADER OF THE PNCR, LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION AND CHAIRMAN OF
APNU, MR. AUBREY C. NORTON, MP

I join the local and global community in extending sincere condolences to the family of Sir Shridath Ramphal on his death on the 30th August 2024. Sir Shridath belongs to a long list of distinguished Guyanese. His achievements were in the field of international politics and diplomacy. Here his achievements brought him personal renown and made his country a symbol of excellence and a distinguished member of the international community.

In his ninety six (96) years on God’s earth, Sir Shridath rose from the position of a lawyer to become at various times Assistant Attorney General of the West Indies Federation; Minister of Justice and Foreign Affairs of Guyana; Secretary General of the Commonwealth Secretariat; and an active participant in Global Affairs serving on all global Commissions dealing with development, the environment and disarmament; and being fully and actively involved in helping both Zimbabwe and South Africa to attain their freedom. But to my Party and the people of the Caribbean region we remember the seminal role he played in the establishment of the Caribbean Community.

His role as the Chief Negotiator in the Regional Negotiation Machinery (RNM) and his Chairmanship of the West Indian Commission are events which this region will not forget. Sir Shridath was indeed a colossus who bestrode the world of Global politics and etched his name in the annals of diplomacy of the twentieth and twenty first century. Yet the enduring image remains of Sir Shridath, impeccably clad, at the age of ninety-two, delivering his speech in defence of the territorial integrity and sovereignty at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Sir Shridath’s career will not be easily understood if we do not take into account his achievement of bringing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs into existence when such an institution never existed before. Guyana’s external relations were conducted by the British Government as we were a colony. As independence approached, the Colonial administration quickly established the Department of External Affairs. At independence, this became the Ministry of External Affairs.