View source for Shridath Ramphal

{{Short description|Guyanese diplomat (1928–2024)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image               = Shridath Ramphal.JPG
| honorific-prefix    = [[The Honourable]]
| name                = Sir Sonny Ramphal
| native_name         = 
| honorific-suffix    = {{post-nominals|size=100%|country=GBR|GCMGm|AC|ONZ|OE|OCC}} {{post-nominals|size=100%|country=MDV|NIIV}} [[Order of Merit (Jamaica)|OM]] {{post-nominals|size=100%|country=GBR|KC|FRSA}}
| title               = 2nd [[Commonwealth Secretary-General|Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations]]
| 1blankname          = [[Head of the Commonwealth|Head]]
| 1namedata           = [[Elizabeth II]]
| 2blankname          = 
| 2namedata           = 
| term_start          = 1 July 1975
| term_end            = 30 June 1990
| predecessor         = [[Arnold Smith]]
| successor           = [[Emeka Anyaoku|Chief Emeka Anyaoku]]
| office2             = 2nd [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Guyana)|Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guyana]]
| term_start2         = 1972
| term_end2           = 1975
| primeminister2      = [[Forbes Burnham]]
| predecessor2        = Forbes Burnham
| successor2          = [[Frederick Wills (Guyana)|Frederick Wills]]
| office3             = 1st Assistant Attorney General of the [[West Indies Federation]]
| term_start3         = 3 January 1958
| term_end3           = 31 May 1962
| office4             = [[Chancellor (education)|Chancellor]] of the [[University of the West Indies]]
| predecessor4        = [[Allen Montgomery Lewis]]
| successor4          = [[George Alleyne]]
| term_start4         = 1989
| term_end4           = 2003
| office5             = [[List of University of Warwick people#Chancellors|Chancellor]] of the [[University of Warwick]]
| term_start5         = 1989
| term_end5           = 2002
| predecessor5        = [[Leslie Scarman, Baron Scarman]]
| successor5          = [[Nick Scheele]]
| office6             = [[Chancellor (education)|Chancellor]] of the [[University of Guyana]]
| term_start6         = 1990
| term_end6           = 1992
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1928|10|3|df=y}}
| birth_place         = [[New Amsterdam, Guyana|New Amsterdam]], [[Berbice]], [[British Guiana]] (present-day [[East Berbice-Corentyne]], Guyana)
| death_date          = {{death date and age|2024|8|30|1928|10|3|df=y}}
| death_place         = 
| spouse              = {{marriage|Lois Winifred King|1951|2019|reason=her death}}<ref>{{cite web | url=https://guyanachronicle.com/2019/09/24/president-saddened-at-passing-of-lady-lois-winifred-ramphal/ | title=President saddened at passing of Lady Lois Winifred Ramphal |website= Guyana Chronicle | date=24 September 2019 }}</ref>
| children            = 4
| education           = [[Harvard Law School]]
| alma_mater          = [[King's College London]] ([[LL.B.]], [[LL.M.]])
| caption             = Ramphal in 2015
}}

'''Sir Shridath Surendranath Ramphal''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|GCMGm|AC|ONZ|OE|OCC}} {{post-nominals|country=MDV|size=100%|NIIV}} [[Order of Merit (Jamaica)|OM]] {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KC|FRSA}} (3 October 1928 – 30 August 2024), often known as '''Sir Sonny Ramphal''', was a Guyanese politician who was the second [[Commonwealth Secretary-General]], holding the position from 1975 to 1990. He was also the [[foreign minister]] of [[Guyana]] from 1972 to 1975, and assistant attorney general of the [[West Indies Federation]] from 1958 to 1962.

Ramphal was an [[Earth Charter]] International Commission member.

==Biography==
Ramphal was born in [[New Amsterdam, Guyana|New Amsterdam]], [[British Guiana]], to an [[Indo-Guyanese]] family, and was the eldest of the five children of Grace and Jimmy Ramphal, a [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]] schoolteacher<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thepresidency.gov.za/shridath-sonny-surendranath-ramphal-1928|title=Shridath ‘Sonny’ Surendranath Ramphal (1928 - ) – The Order of the Companions of O.R. Tambo in Gold|work=The Presidency – Republic of South Africa|access-date=16 May 2025}}</ref> and pioneer of secondary education in the colony, who later became the first Guyanese person to be appointed to a government post when he was made a commissioner in the department of labour soon after the outbreak of the [[World War II|Second World War]].<ref name="Guardian obituary">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/sep/01/sir-shridath-sonny-ramphal-obituary|title=Sir Shridath Ramphal obituary|first=Kaye|last=Whiteman|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=2 September 2024}}</ref> One of his grandmothers left [[British Raj|British India]] after refusing to commit sati and emigrated to British Guiana under the [[Indian indenture system]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Waldman |first=Amy |date=2003-01-12 |title=India Harvests Fruits of a Diaspora |language=en-US |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/12/world/india-harvests-fruits-of-a-diaspora.html |access-date=2023-07-18 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> After attending schools in [[Georgetown, Guyana|Georgetown]], Ramphal studied law at [[King's College London]], graduating with [[LL.B.]] and [[LL.M.]] degrees. He was [[called to the bar]] at [[Gray's Inn]] in London in 1951. As a [[pupil barrister]] he worked with the British politician and lawyer [[Dingle Foot]]. Ramphal continued studying law for a year at [[Harvard Law School]] in the US on a 1962 [[Guggenheim Fellowship]].<ref name="Integrationist">{{cite web|title=Shridath Ramphal|url=http://www.theintegrationistcaribbean.org/integration/speecheswritings/shridath-ramphal/|website=The Integrationist Caribbean|access-date=9 November 2017}}</ref><ref name="JTT">{{cite web|title=Sir Shridath Ramphal|url=http://www.ttlawcourts.org/index.php/component/attachments/download/2380|website=The Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago|access-date=9 November 2017|archive-date=29 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729015505/http://www.ttlawcourts.org/index.php/component/attachments/download/2380|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Ramphal started his legal career as a Crown Counsel in the Attorney-General's Office in 1953, becoming Solicitor-General and then Assistant Attorney-General of the short-lived West Indies Federation. After a period in private practice in Jamaica, he returned to British Guiana in 1965 to be the [[Attorney General of Guyana|Attorney General]]. Two years later, he was also appointed Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs, later becoming Minister of Justice (from 1973) and Minister of Foreign Affairs (from 1972). In 1975, he left Guyana to become Commonwealth Secretary-General.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stabroeknews.com/2008/features/10/03/tributes-to-sir-shridath-ramphal-on-his-eightieth-birthday/|title= Tributes to Sir Shridath Ramphal on his eightieth birthday|work= [[Stabroek News]]|date=3 October 2008 |access-date = 27 July 2015}}</ref>

He also served as the Chancellor of the [[University of Warwick]] from 1989 to 2002, of the [[University of the West Indies]] from 1989 to 2003, and of the [[University of Guyana]] from 1990 to 1992.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.iisd.org/people/shridath-ramphal | title=Shridath Ramphal }}</ref>

During Ramphal's time as [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] Secretary-General, the United Kingdom represented by [[Margaret Thatcher]] was found to be in a minority of one on the issue of [[economic sanctions]] against [[History of South Africa in the apartheid era|apartheid]] [[South Africa]].

With [[Ingvar Carlsson]], he was in 1995 one of the co-chairs of the [[Commission on Global Governance]], which reported on issues of [[international development]], [[international security]], [[globalization]] and [[global governance]].

Ramphal died on 30 August 2024, at the age of 95.<ref>{{cite web |title=Shridath Ramphal passes away |url= https://www.stabroeknews.com/2024/08/30/news/guyana/sir-shridath-passes-away/ |website=Stabroek News |access-date=30 August 2024}}</ref>

==Selected bibliography==
* ''Inseparable Humanity: An Anthology of Reflections'' ([[Hansib]], 1988)
* ''Triumph for UNCLOS: The Guyana-Suriname Maritime Arbitration'' (Hansib, 2008)
* ''Caribbean Challenges: Sir Shridath Ramphal's Collected Counsel'' (Hansib, 2012)

==Honours and awards==
Ramphal was appointed a [[Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George]] (CMG) in the [[1966 Birthday Honours]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/44004/supplement/6533 |title=London Gazette, Supplement: 44004 |publisher=London-gazette.co.uk |page=6533|date=3 June 1966 |access-date=19 July 2014}}</ref> He was [[Knight Bachelor|knighted]] in the [[1970 New Year Honours]], and invested with his knighthood by [[Elizabeth II|the Queen]] at [[Buckingham Palace]] on 3 February.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/45004/supplement/49 |title=London Gazette, Supplement: 45004 |publisher=London-gazette.co.uk |page=49|date=30 December 1969 |access-date=19 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/45036/supplement/1551 |title=London Gazette, Supplement: 45036 |publisher=London-gazette.co.uk |page=1551|date=6 February 1970 |access-date=19 July 2014}}</ref> He was appointed [[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St. George]] (GCMG) in 1990.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/newsitem.asp?more=local&NewsID=20498 |title=Chancellor's choice: Sir Shridath awarded Chancellor's Medal |first=Tanya |last=Lightbourne|newspaper=Barbados Advocate |date=22 October 2011 |access-date=19 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728224712/http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/newsitem.asp?more=local&NewsID=20498 |archive-date=28 July 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

On 26 February 1982, Ramphal was appointed an honorary Companion of the [[Order of Australia]] (AC).<ref>[https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/882139 Australia: It's an Honour]</ref> On 6 February 1990, Ramphal was the 19th appointee to the [[Order of New Zealand]],<ref>"Honours and Awards" (15 February 1990), 23 ''[[New Zealand Gazette]]'' 445 at 446.</ref> New Zealand's highest civil honour. He was decorated as a Member of the [[Order of the Caribbean Community]] (OCC) in the first conferment in 1992.<ref name="JTT"/> In May 2006 Ramphal was appointed an Honorary Fellow of [[Royal Society of Arts]]. He was a vice-president of the [[Royal Commonwealth Society]]. The Ramphal Building at the [[University of Warwick]] was named in his honour.

In 2002, Rampal was awarded the [[Indira Gandhi Peace Prize]].<ref>[http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030412/nation.htm The Tribune] ''dated'' 13 April 2003, ''accessed'' 2 November 2006.</ref> In 2003, he was awarded the [[Pravasi Bharatiya Samman]] by the [[President of India]].

==In popular culture==
Ramphal is portrayed by [[Tony Jayawardena]] in the fourth season of the [[Netflix]] web television series ''[[The Crown (season 4)|The Crown]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1478396/|title=Tony Jayawardena|website=[[IMDb]] }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Richard Bourne, ''Shridath Ramphal: The Commonwealth and the World'' (Hansib, 2009)

==External links==
*{{cite web|title=Interview with Sir Shridath Ramphal: Commonwealth Oral History Project|url=http://sas-space.sas.ac.uk/5900/#undefined|website=School of Advanced Study, University of London|date=17 April 2015}}
**[http://sas-space.sas.ac.uk/5900/1/Shridath%20Ramphal%20Transcript%201.pdf Transcript of the interview, part one]
**[http://sas-space.sas.ac.uk/5900/2/Shridath%20Ramphal%20Transcript%202.pdf Transcript of the interview, part two]
*[http://www.ramphalinstitute.org The Ramphal Institute] - Official website for the continuation of the work of Sir Shridath Ramphal: promoting good governance, economic development and social justice around the world.

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{{succession box|title=[[Commonwealth Secretary-General|Secretary-General for the Commonwealth]]|years=1975&ndash;1990|before=[[Arnold Smith]]|after=[[Emeka Anyaoku|Chief Emeka Anyaoku]]}}
{{s-aca}}
{{succession box|title=[[University of Warwick#Chancellors of the University|Chancellor of the University of Warwick]]|years=1989&ndash;2002|before=[[Leslie Scarman, Baron Scarman|Baron Scarman]]|after=[[Nick Scheele]]}}
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{{Commonwealth Secretary-General}}
{{Foreign Ministers of Guyana}}
{{Order of New Zealand}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramphal, Shridath}}
[[Category:1928 births]]
[[Category:2024 deaths]]
[[Category:Alumni of King's College London]]
[[Category:British colonial attorneys general in the Americas]]
[[Category:Chancellors of the University of Warwick]]
[[Category:Commonwealth secretaries-general]]
[[Category:Fellows of King's College London]]
[[Category:Foreign ministers of Guyana]]
[[Category:Attorneys general of Guyana]]
[[Category:Guyanese diplomats]]
[[Category:Guyanese knights]]
[[Category:Guyanese Queen's Counsel]]
[[Category:20th-century King's Counsel]]
[[Category:Indo-Guyanese people]]
[[Category:Guyanese politicians of Indian descent]]
[[Category:Harvard Law School alumni]]
[[Category:Honorary Fellows of the London School of Economics]]
[[Category:Justice ministers of Guyana]]
[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:Members of Gray's Inn]]
[[Category:People from New Amsterdam, Guyana]]
[[Category:Presidents of the International Union for Conservation of Nature]]
[[Category:Recipients of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Merit (Jamaica)]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George]]
[[Category:Honorary companions of the Order of Australia]]
[[Category:Honorary members of the Order of New Zealand]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Izzuddin]]
[[Category:20th-century Guyanese politicians]]