Former Director General and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Elisabeth Harper, who passed away last Saturday, has been described as a tower of Guyana’s foreign policy and diplomacy, as tributes poured in for the late diplomat at a night of reflection, which was hosted last evening at the Arthur Chung Conference Center.
Former President Donald Ramotar, who picked Ambassador Harper as his running mate for the 2015 elections, was the first to pay tribute.
Mr. Ramotar said his relationship with Ms. Harper started in 1992 but grew stronger from 2011 when he became President. He remembered her leading many of his overseas delegations and negotiating major deals on behalf of the Government.
“I will dearly miss her because even though I have been out of government for 10 years already, she was still a great help to me in everything that I asked her in relation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, If I was traveling she was the one who made the arrangements for me in different parts of the world, if I had visa issue, she helped with me all of those things. So, personally, I will miss her very very much and therefore I know how much the family and those who worked closely with her, will miss her,” the former President told those gathered.
Mrs. Harper, was remember for her long and tireless service to the public and foreign service. She joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1976 as a Clerk in the Registry and later moved on to Officer I in the Administrative Division, then Foreign Service Officer II in the Protocol Division before being appointed Foreign Service Officer III in the Political Affairs Division with responsibility for Latin America and the Caribbean.
She was also the Head of the Frontiers Division, Counsellor at the Guyana High Commission in London, Director of the Department of the Americas and Asia, and Director General.
As Director General, she also held the portfolios of Ambassador to CARICOM and Non-resident High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Grenada and St. Kitts and Nevis. Her last stint at the Foreign Ministry was Permanent Secretary.
Foreign Minister, Hugh Todd, remembered Ambassador Harper as someone who was able to carefully navigate complex issues in the foreign service.
“And she has been able to journey with us as a country, when interstate relations dominate international relations to a phase in our history where we are now in a multi-polar world, not only where nation states dominate. So, she understood clearly that there are other actors outside of the state that can influence policy making at the state level at the regional level and at the global level,” Mr. Todd stated.
Mr. Todd said Ambassador Harper was an all rounder, as she managed 21 of Guyana’s diplomats at missions across the world.
Former Foreign Minister Carl Greenidge, who also worked with Ambassador Harper on the Border Advisory team, remembered her as someone who displayed professionalism and compassion in her work.
“Liz undertook that task and did a very good job in it. In her work, it was evident, if he hadn’t been evident and I hadn’t known her enough to know that she was not only a very assiduous person but someone who could empathize easily and deeply with others and in the case of the team, Sir Sridath Ramphal, who was located in Barbados and had already approaching 90’s, I think was especially pleased to work with Liz, she was assign the task of rendering him any sort of assistance but she recognized need and bonded with Sir. Shridath in a way that was quite remarkable in a very short space of time,” Mr. Greenidge recall.
Secretary General of the Caribbean community, Dr. Carla Barnett, also remembered the Ambassador for her deep knowledge and unwavering commitment in advancing the goals of our community.
“She was very quiet, most of the times but she was firm whenever she knew she had to say what needed to be said. We listened to her, we learn from her, we knew that she was deeply knowledgeable and she was committed to her country Guyana,’ Dr. Barnett said.
Prime Minister Mark Phillips said the country is poorer with the death of Ambassador Harper who has dedicated her life to service. Ambassador Elisabeth Harper will be laid to rest on Friday.
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