Life of former Commonwealth Secretary General, Sir Shridath Ramphal, celebrated

On 1 July, Sir Ronald Sanders delivered the 2025 Patsy Robertson Memorial Lecture in which he said:

Today, we confront worrying signs of democratic backsliding and restrictions on fundamental freedoms.

Sonny would urge us to remain faithful to the Commonwealth’s founding principles by keeping human rights, democracy, and development at the forefront of our collective obligations.

The lecture was preceded by a service of commemoration and celebration in The Queen’s Chapel, Marlborough Street.

Both events were organised by the family of Sir Shridath Ramphal and the Commonwealth Association, the alumni body of former salaried staff of Commonwealth organisations, in partnership with the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Tributes and obituaries and be found here:

• Tributes and memories of Sonny Ramphal from staff and former Commonwealth colleagues
• Tributes published in The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs and Policy Studies
• Tributes and obituaries assembled by CARICOM in the Caribbean