Guyana confident ICJ will rule in its favor in Venezuela border case

Guyana is increasingly confident that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will uphold the 1899 Arbitral Award, solidifying its border with Venezuela. Prime Minister Mark Phillips stated in the National Assembly that all legal submissions have concluded after eight years of proceedings.

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Guyana is more confident than ever that the Court will uphold the legal validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award and the finality and permanence of the international boundary between Guyana and Venezuela.

Phillips emphasized Guyana's belief that the court will affirm the "legal validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award and the finality and permanence of the international boundary." The oral hearings ended on May 11, with a judgment anticipated within six to eight months, possibly by late 2026 or early 2027. This ruling will be legally binding on both nations.

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The very fact that this case reached the ICJ and that the written and oral phases of the proceedings were carried out to their completion represents a triumph for the rule of law and the rules-based international order.

The prime minister highlighted the case's progression through the ICJ as a victory for international law and the rules-based order. Guyana maintains that disputes should be settled peacefully, rejecting threats or force. The country's legal team presented strong arguments, countering Venezuela's claims, which were notably raised in 1962, long after the award was established and recognized.

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The oral hearings established that Venezuela made this very belated protest precisely at the time Guyana was nearing its independence and when British troops would be departing.