Sonny Ramphal's website and Commonwealth papers

The Commonwealth’s longest-serving secretary-general, Sir Shridath (or Sonny) Ramphal has released all of his papers online, covering 72 years of his public life in the Caribbean, the Commonwealth and internationally.

Sir Shridath served as Commonwealth Secretary-General from 1975 to 1990. He shared his views on the modern Commonwealth in a 2020 Round Table interview.

The papers made public at the end of June on his website include speeches, his work on international and regional Commissions, publications and a picture gallery.

‘In settling my CV over a period of some 75 years – from the time I was 18 in 1946 I was pleased, but also a little embarrassed,’ he states in the section called My CV.

‘What am I trying to do?’ he continues. ‘Not, of course, to down-grade my CV. – which I attach. By no means; I am proud of it, and happy. But my life cannot be said to be an example entirely of cultivated aims and pursued ambitions – more of following instincts. It does not invalidate that counsel; but it is not an example of wholly personal virtue.’

Related articles:

Sir Shridath Ramphal talks to the Round Table

Shridath Ramphal website photo gallery

Some of the articles by Sir Shridath Ramphal in the Round Table Journal:

Security of small states Small is beautiful but vulnerable

Reflections on ‘Vancouver’

A world without order

Nigeria

The commonwealth in the global neighbourhood

The Commonwealth’s need for renewal

Sonny Ramphal has written 21 articles for the Round Table Journal over the last 45 years. You can view them on the journal’s website at 1976-1987 articles by Sir Shridath Ramphal and articles to 2021 by Sir Shridath Ramphal.

Debbie Ransome is the website editor of The Round Table website.