Guyana expects ICJ to rule in its favor in Esequibo dispute with Venezuela

Guyana is increasingly confident that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will rule in its favor regarding the long-standing border dispute with Venezuela over the Esequibo region. Prime Minister Mark Phillips stated that the court will confirm the validity of the 1899 arbitral award, which established the international border.

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Guyana is more convinced than ever that the court will confirm the legal validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award and the definitive and permanent nature of the international border between Guyana and Venezuela.

Phillips addressed legislators, asserting that Guyana's conviction is stronger than ever. He noted that oral hearings concluded on May 11 in The Hague, with only the court's deliberations and final judgment pending. The Esequibo region, spanning nearly 160,000 square kilometers, is rich in oil and other natural resources, and currently makes up two-thirds of Guyana's territory.

Venezuela contests the 1899 award, claiming the territory as its own. The ICJ held hearings this month for both nations to present their arguments. Phillips suggested that ICJ judgments typically follow six to eight months after oral hearings conclude, indicating a potential decision between November 2026 and January 2027.

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The oral hearings made it clear that Venezuela presented this protest so late precisely at the moment when Guyana was approaching its independence and when British troops were about to withdraw.

The Prime Minister also pointed out that Venezuela's protest of the award was notably delayed, coinciding with Guyana's move towards independence and the withdrawal of British troops. He emphasized that the ICJ's ruling will be legally binding for both countries under the UN Charter and the court's statute. Phillips hailed the case reaching the ICJ and completing its procedural phases as a triumph for the rule of law.

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The mere fact that this case has reached the ICJ and that the written and oral phases of the procedure have been carried out to their conclusion represents a triumph for the rule of law and the rules-based international order.