Two weeks after being hospitalised for a fall, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashleigh Jackson passed away last evening at his Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara home.
He served as Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1978 up to his retirement in 1991 but before that had other diplomatic postings including at the United Nations as Guyana’s Permanent Represen-tative.
He was 93 years old.
Hailed as one of the most astute diplomats to serve this country, tributes poured in for the man who spent a long period of his life in the foreign service.
Former Commonwealth Secre-tary Sir Shridath Ramphal last night said that ”A mighty purple-heart has fallen”.
In a tribute, Sir Shridath said that he and Jackson were born in New Amsterdam a year apart and their lives had intertwined in the near century that has passed.
“We were at Queen’s (College) together where his mastery of mathematics was legendary; and after University abroad he came back to his alma mater to teach a new generation. But these were the days of nation building and in 1964 Rashleigh joined the public service where he remained for most of his working life. By 1966, and independence, I was Minister of State for External Affairs with Rashleigh as the Ministry’s Permanent Secre-tary. Together we built our fledgling Foreign Service that was to serve Guyana’s needs as a new micro State beset by existential threats. Few more than me can vouch for the quality of the Ministry’s service to Guyana under Rashleigh’s guidance: names like Rudy Collins, Anne Jardim, Miles Stoby come to mind – and there were others.
“In due course, as I went to the Commonwealth Secretariat as Secretary General, Rashleigh went to the key position as Ambassador and Permanent Representative for Guyana to the United Nations – where Guyana’s evolving diplomatic talents developed under his keen guidance. They were the days of African causes, like UDI (Unilateral Declaration of Indepen-dence) in Rhodesia and Apartheid in South Africa and freedom for Namibia – causes in which Guyana was unequivocally active. And in a cold war context, there was the special significance for Guyana of Non-Alignment”, Sir Shridath said.
In an Interview for the Com-monwealth Oral History Project in 2015 Sir Shridath said that Jackson recalled those days of Guyanese diplomatic activism:
I remember in the Kingston Meeting in 1975, the section on Southern Africa was drafted by Salim Salim (of Tanzania), Paul Lusaka (of Zambia) and myself as three Heads of the three Committees of the UN. Salim was Chair of the Committee of 24 and Lusaka was Chair of the Commit-tee against Apartheid. I was Chairman of the UN Council on Namibia….The C’W offered the roles and provided the personnel for the Committees on these critical issues.
Sir Shridath said that Jackson was the centre of this network of key Commonwealth diplomats at the UN. Elected President of the Council for Namibia in 1974 he said that Jackson campaigned vigorously around the world. The visit to Guyana on Namibia Day (August 26) was marked by a monument to Freedom in the grounds of the Umana Yana in Georgetown.
“Rashleigh ends his commendable book on Guyana’s Diplomacy with reference to `the Presidency that never was’ – the Presidency of the General Assembly for 1993. His account is itself such a model of diplomacy that it must suffice for me to remind that for that highest of posts in the UN Rashleigh Jackson had been warmly endorsed by the Heads of Govern-ment of his Caribbean region. It wasn’t to be; but he deserves to be remembered for the outstanding work he did in making it possible for Guyana to assume those heights globally.
“But Rashleigh’s service to Guyana in another sphere needs also to be recalled as he leaves us. It is in relation to Venezuela’s threat to the Guyana Rashleigh helped to build. From Indepen-dence, through the 12 years of the Protocol of Port of Spain, and 27 years of Venezuelan filibuster in a thwarted UN good offices process, Rashleigh laboured in Guyana’s cause – and so to the very end, with diplomatic wariness and passion”, Sir Shridath said.
Sir Shridath quoted from Guyana’s press of 10 January 2019:
“Former Foreign Affairs Minis-ter Rashleigh Jackson broke down in tears as he spoke about Vene-zuela’s attempt to ‘rob’ Guyana of the riches offshore Guyana. The moment came when he read an excerpt from a speech delivered to the United Nations in 1981 by the then Prime Minister Dr Ptolemy Reid”.
Sir Shridath noted that Jackson had become Foreign Minister of Guyana in 1978 where he remained until 1990 throughout the entire period of his sojourn at the Commonwealth – “mindful that in Guyana was a brother professional committed to making the world a better place for all, and especially safeguarding Guyana’s place in a peaceful and sustainable habitat”.
Sir Shridath added: “May New Amsterdam remember with pride its gift to Guyana of RASHLEIGH ESMOND JACKSON – and may all Guyana join it.
Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Coopera-tion last night extended profound sympathy to the family of the late former Foreign Minister.
“His contribution to the foundation and implementation of Guyana’s foreign policy is our legacy. He exuded humility and dignity and was a source of inspiration to all those whom he mentored.
“He was held in high esteem both regionally and internationally, enhancing Guyana’s profile externally. He continued to the end of his life, to fight to preserve his country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Guyana has lost a national icon, a true and selfless patriot. While we grieve his passing, we hold on to treasured memories of rich interaction and the sharing of the wealth of his knowledge”, the ministry said.
Former Guyana Foreign Minis-ter and now Permanent Represen-tative to the United Nations, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett said of Jackson: “Guyana has lost a true patriot … Rashleigh Jackson is a former Foreign Minister and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and continued to serve his country up to the time of his death without any fanfare or publicity. May his legacy of service in humility be an inspiration to us all. I offer sincere condolences to his family and loved ones in this time of grief. May his soul rest in external peace”.
“While I knew he was recovering from the fall, learning of his passing still shocked me. It took my mind back to the years when I worked with him and for all that I learned from this exceptionally brilliant diplomat,” former envoy and Jackson’s longtime friend Ronald Austin told Stabroek News last night.
“In the 1970s he was the Perma-nent Representative to the United Nations and was based in New York. All who knew him would tell you that he had this great capacity for finding resolutions. I think it is for this and his overall character that saw him highly regarded at the UN. When there were major issues being debated in the General Assembly, Permanent Represen-tatives consulted with him about the issues being faced and possible solutions, about resolutions and difficult solutions. It was that great a man he was,” Austin added.
Foreign policy issues including the Guyana and Venezuela controversy and the liberation of Southern Africa were also pointed to as part of Jackson’s contributions.
Austin said that Jackson was many times singled out for his contributions at the UN but he was never boastful. Jackson, according to Austin, would go on to become the President of the Council on Namibia.
“All I can tell you, in summation, is that he always had the interest of Guyana at heart and made sure what he did redounded to the benefit of this county,” he said.
