The President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has announced that a decision concerning the 1899 Arbitral Award between Guyana and Venezuela will be provided to the involved parties shortly. The public hearings at the Peace Palace in The Hague concluded on Wednesday, focusing on Guyana’s request for provisional measures presented on October 27, 2023.
During the hearings on November 14 and 15, 2023, ICJ President Judge Joan Donoghue emphasized that the court’s order on Guyana’s request for provisional measures will be deliberated in a public sitting. As part of the standard procedure, Judge Donoghue stated that the parties’ agents would be informed in due course about the specific day of the court’s deliberation. She added, “I shall request both agents to remain at the court’s disposal to provide any additional information the court may require. The court will render its order on the request to indicate provisional measures submitted by Guyana as soon as possible.”
During Tuesday’s hearings, Guyana urged the ICJ to issue five provisional measures to prevent Venezuela’s planned referendum and uphold the rule of law. These measures, requested by Guyana until a decision is reached on the main border controversy, include restraining Venezuela from executing actions related to the proposed referendum, such as creating a new state incorporating Guyana’s Essequibo region into Venezuela’s territory or providing population identity cards or citizenship in Venezuela. Guyana contends that these actions would constitute an unlawful annexation of its territory, violating the core principles of international law outlined in the United Nations Charter.
The oral arguments concluded on Wednesday, with Venezuela presenting its case against Guyana’s request for provisional measures. The case’s background involves Guyana’s application to the ICJ in 2018, seeking confirmation of the 1899 Arbitral Award that established the border between Venezuela and then-British Guiana. Guyana considers the 1899 ruling as a ‘full, perfect, and final settlement’ of all border-related issues between Venezuela and the British Guiana province.
Special Reporter, London, UK