Guatemala and Belize prepare, with OAS support, for the final phase of their territorial dispute

Guatemala and Belize are preparing for the final stage of their long-running territorial dispute, with the Organization of American States helping coordinate what happens around an expected ruling by the International Court of Justice.

Guatemalan Foreign Minister Carlos Ramiro Martínez Alvarado and his Belizean counterpart, Francis Fonseca, met with OAS Secretary-General Albert Ramdin at the organization’s office in the Adjacency Zone. Delegates from the diplomatic Group of Friends also attended.

The Adjacency Zone was provisionally established in 2000. It extends one kilometer on each side of the countries’ unofficial 200-kilometer border, which runs between northern Guatemala and western Belize. The area was created to prevent armed or population-related tensions while the U.N.’s highest court considers Guatemala’s claim to roughly 11,000 square kilometers of mainland territory, along with several cays and islands that are now part of Belize.

Both countries brought their territorial, island and maritime dispute to the court in The Hague after holding popular consultations in 2018 and 2019. The case is now in its final judicial deliberation phase.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Martínez stressed the need for Guatemala, Belize and the OAS to design a joint work plan for implementing the eventual ruling. The plan would aim to protect the border stability and bilateral trust built in recent years. During a working visit continuing through Wednesday, the diplomats also observed drones and geolocation technology used to verify incidents in the area and visited community centers promoting peace. The OAS mission has verified more than 500 border incidents since 2002 and helped maintain military and diplomatic dialogue.