Guyana says it has emerged from final oral hearings in its border controversy case against Venezuela “more confident than ever” that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will uphold the 1899 Arbitral Award and definitively affirm Guyana’s internationally recognized boundary.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall made the declaration Monday following the conclusion of proceedings at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands.
The oral hearings, held between May 4 and May 11, saw both countries present arguments before the ICJ, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. The court will now deliberate before issuing what will be a final and legally binding judgment.
At the center of the dispute is Guyana’s request for the court to affirm the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the boundary between then British Guiana and Venezuela more than a century ago. Venezuela has long argued that the award is invalid and continues to claim a large portion of Guyana’s territory.
Nandlall said the completion of the oral hearings represents a victory for international law and the rules-based global order.
“The very fact that this case reached the ICJ, and that the written and oral phases of the proceedings were carried out to their completions, represents a triumph for the rule of law and the rules-based international order,” he said.
He added that disputes between states should be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law rather than through threats or military force.
The ICJ had already ruled in December 2020 that it has jurisdiction to hear and determine the matter, rejecting Venezuela’s objections to the court’s authority.
According to Nandlall, Guyana entered the hearings confident in its legal position but left even more optimistic after presenting what he described as “compelling and convincing” arguments before the court.
“Guyana is more confident than ever that the court will uphold the legal validity of the unanimous Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899,” he stated, adding that the ruling would confirm the award as the “final, definitive and permanent lawful boundary” between the two countries.
Nandlall also revisited the history of the controversy, arguing that Venezuela accepted and respected the 1899 boundary for more than six decades before challenging it in 1962 as Guyana approached independence from Britain.
He said the court’s final judgment would bring closure to a dispute that has lingered for decades.
The Attorney General praised Guyana’s delegation, including Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd and Guyana’s agent in the proceedings, former foreign minister Carl Greenidge. He also commended the country’s international legal team, led by noted attorneys Paul Reichler, Philippe Sands and Alain Pellet.
Nandlall further pointed to the 1966 Geneva Agreement, which established mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of the controversy after bilateral talks failed to resolve the issue. In 2018, António Guterres decided the matter should be settled by the ICJ, leading Guyana to formally initiate proceedings before the court.
While Guyana has repeatedly pledged to respect the court’s ruling, Nandlall expressed concern over statements from Venezuelan representatives suggesting they may refuse to comply with the judgment.
According to him, any refusal to abide by the court’s ruling would amount to a breach of obligations under the United Nations Charter, the Charter of the Organization of American States, and international law.
Despite the tensions, Nandlall said Guyana remains committed to peaceful relations with Venezuela.
“We will continue to address Venezuela in a spirit of peace, cooperation and friendship, and as sovereign equals,” he said, while insisting that Guyana’s sovereignty must be respected.
The ICJ has not indicated when it will deliver its final ruling in the case.
