Jamaica’s former ambassador to the United States Dr Richard Bernal died on Wednesday after reportedly collapsing while walking with his wife.
Trade Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon in an interview with Guardian Media yesterday said Bernal’s passing has resulted in the loss of a tremendous Caricom leader in the arena of international trade.
Bernal was Jamaica’s ambassador to the United States and Permanent Representative to the Organisation of American States (OAS), positions he held for over ten years between May 6, 1991 and August 31, 2001.
After his stint as ambassador, Bernal went on to hold several regional and international roles.
He was a member of the broad of directors of the InterAmerican Development Bank (2008 to 2016), and was a chief trade negotiator for Caricom.
As the Director-General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM) for eight years, he had responsibility for trade negotiations for Caricom.
In paying tribute to Bernal, Gopee-Scoon said his work was particularly impactful during the hectic period of trade negotiations including the CARIFORUM/EU EPA and the Doha Development Agenda of the WTO, among others.
The Trade Minister also noted that T&T has benefited from his guidance and leadership in the disciplines related to trade negotiations and wider trade policy.
“We are, therefore, thankful for his contributions and wish to express our profound sadness to the Government and people of Jamaica.
“His stellar contribution to the Caribbean will have a lasting impact on its development,” Gopee-Scoon added.
In a statement, Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness also expressed sadness at Bernal’s passing.
He said Jamaica had lost a pillar of the academic and diplomatic community.
“Ambassador Bernal gave committed service to his beloved country, Jamaica, and to elevating our status and relations with bilateral and hemispheric partners.
“He represented the people of Jamaica with honour, dignity and professionalism,” Holness added.
He also noted that Bernal had a wide breadth of understanding of international economic policy and economic development as they affect small-island developing states.
Vice-Chancellor of The University of the West Indies Prof Sir Hilary Beckles said Bernal’s distinguished career included dedicated service to UWI in various capacities, among them, academic in the Department of Economics and the Institute for Social and Economic Research, the first Pro Vice-Chancellor for Global Affairs, and up to the time of his passing, Prof of Practice within the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies and Research Fellow at the P.J. Patterson Centre for Africa-Caribbean Advocacy.
Beckles said Bernal was a quintessential product of UWI.
“He was instinctively a regionalist and dedicated his considerable academic research and publishing to the regional development agenda. He was an outstanding scholar who committed his extensive internationally accumulated knowledge to the business of crafting the progressive Caribbean consciousness. He was a public advocate of the social justice principle and contributed to the democratisation of the postcolonial culture. He was a skilled and effective teacher and enjoyed the art of academic communication. He was a kind and reasonable colleague who believed in the values of the academy and was keen to participate in their consolidation. He was a friend to many university leaders and offered sound advice over several decades,” Beckles stated.
“On his retirement from national service within the diplomatic realm, it was my honour to invite him back into the university community where he facilitated the development of the global agenda, and the Reputation Revolution which was being launched,” he stated.