ICJ to begin hearing Guyana/Venezuela Border Controversy

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), will hold public hearings in the case concerning the Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 (Guyana v. Venezuela) from Thursday 17 to Tuesday 22 November 2022, at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the seat of the Court.

The hearings will be devoted to the preliminary objections raised by Venezuela in response to Guyana’s submission of its Memorial on the merits of the case. It will be recalled that Guyana brought the matter to the Court in an Application submitted on 29 March 2018. The Court confirmed its jurisdiction over the case, rejecting Venezuela’s objections, in a Judgment issued on 18 December 2020. On 8 March 2022, Guyana filed its Memorial on the merits of its case against Venezuela in accordance with the Order of 8 March 2021 of the Court.

Venezuela subsequently filed preliminary objections to the admissibility of Guyana’s Application to the Court to determine the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award on 7 June 2022. In accordance with its rules, the Court suspended the proceedings on the merits until the determination by the Court of the matter of Venezuela’s preliminary objections.

The hearings will be streamed live, in English on the Court’s website and on UN Web TV.

The people of Guyana have remained firmly united in the quest to preserve Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. To this end, the Government invited the Leader of the Opposition to name a representative from the combined Opposition to be part of Guyana’s delegation to The Hague. That invitation has been accepted.

Guyana will be represented at the hearings by:  

The Hon. Mohabir Anil Nandlall, S.C, M.P, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs;

The Hon. Gail Teixeira, M.P, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance;

Mr. Carl Greenidge, Agent of Guyana in the case concerning the Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899;

Ambassador Elisabeth Harper, Co-Agent and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation;

Ms. Donnette Streete, Director of the Frontiers Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation; and

Ambassador Ronald Austin, Advisor to the Leader of the Opposition on Frontier matters.

Guyana is represented in the case before the Court by:

Sir Shridath Ramphal, OE, OCC, KC, Co-Agent and Counsel

Mr. Paul S. Reichler, Attorney-at-Law, Foley Hoag LLP, member of the Bars of the United States Supreme Court and the District of Columbia;

Mr. Alain Pellet, Professor Emeritus of the University Paris Nanterre, former Chairman of the International Law Commission, member of the Institut de droit international

Professor Philippe Sands KC, Professor of International Law at University College London, 11 King’s Bench Walk, London;

Mr. Payam Akhavan, LLM, SJD (Harvard University), Professor of International Law, Senior Fellow, Massey College, University, of Toronto, member of the Bar of New York and the Law Society of Ontario, member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration

Professor Pierre d’Argent, Professor ordinaire, Université Catholique de Louvain, member of the Institut de Droit International, Foley Hoag LLP, member of the Bar of Brussels;

Ms. Christina L. Beharry, Foley Hoag LLP, member of the Bars of the District of Columbia, the State of New York, England and Wales, and the Law Society of Ontario;

Mr. Edward Craven, Barrister, Matrix Chambers, London;

Mr. Juan Pablo Hugues Arthur, Foley Hoag LLP, member of the Bar of the State of New York;

Ms. Isabella F. Uria, Attorney –at-Law, Foley Hoag LLP, member of the Bar of the District of Columbia.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)