President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali today expressed renewed confidence that the International Court of Justice would uphold the 1899 arbitral award that established Guyana’s border with Venezuela, as the decades-old territorial controversy moved into its concluding stage.
Speaking during a press conference, President Ali commended Guyana’s legal and diplomatic teams for, what he said was, a compelling presentation before the UN court.
“All that now remains is for the court to deliberate on the matter before it, especially on the validity of the 1899 arbitral award that determined the international boundary between the two countries, and issue its final judgment, which will be legally binding on both parties,” he said, while noting that Guyana anticipated a ruling “at the end of this year”.
The dispute focuses on the resource-rich Essequibo region, which accounts for nearly two-thirds of Guyana’s territory and has long been claimed by Venezuela despite the 1899 award settling the boundary.
President Ali described the hearings as “a triumph for the rule of law and the rules-based international order”, maintaining that disagreements between nations “must be resolved peacefully” and “never be resolved by threat or use of military force”.
He also reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to respecting the court’s eventual ruling “whatever it may be”, even as he criticised Venezuelan officials for continuing to reject the ICJ’s authority.
“We have heard the statements of Venezuelan officials that they do not accept the ICJ’s jurisdiction and will not abide by its rulings,” he said, cautioning that such a stance would amount to a violation of international law obligations.
