UWI Tribute on the Passing of Her Excellency A. Missouri Sherman Peter, ODC

The University of the West Indies (The UWI) joins The Bahamas, CARICOM, and the international community in mourning the passing of one of our distinguished graduates, Her Excellency A. Missouri Sherman Peter, ODC. News of her death in New York, surrounded by loved ones, has deeply saddened us.

Her Excellency Sherman Peter was a proud graduate of The UWI Mona Campus, and an exemplar of the University’s tradition of producing leaders.

As a public servant in The Bahamas, she held positions as Permanent Secretary in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the Attorney General, and National Security.

She also led a remarkable diplomatic career representing the Bahamas as Consul General in New York, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, High Commissioner to Canada, Non-Resident High Commissioner to Zimbabwe, and as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Special Envoy. She also served with distinction as the Permanent Observer of CARICOM to the United Nations, her final official post before retirement.

Her international impact extended to the Commonwealth Secretariat, where she served as Assistant Director in the Political Affairs Division, and to the United Nations itself, where she held the esteemed position of Chef de Cabinet to the President of the 58th session of the General Assembly.

In 2013, her extraordinary achievements were recognised with the Pelican Award from the UWI Alumni Association and an Honorary Doctorate conferred by the University’s Global Campus in 2015. Her recent investiture with the Order of Distinction in 2024 by the Governor General of The Bahamas was a fitting capstone to a lifetime of service and excellence.

Expressing his condolences, the Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, highlighted that Her Excellency often reminded him that the true spirit of diplomacy lies in serving not only one’s nation, but also the broader global community. The Bahamas Tribune quotes her as saying: “In multilateral relations, we are working for the betterment of people and countries across the globe. In bilateral relations, you are working on the relations between another country and your own. So, the work of diplomacy is for your country and the world.”

Vice-Chancellor Beckles added, “On behalf of The UWI community, I extend heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, colleagues, and the people of The Bahamas. Her legacy as a diplomat, public servant, and proud daughter of The UWI will endure. May she rest in peace and power.”