$660M approved to continue work on Guyana-Venezuela border case

The Committee of Supply on Monday evening approved $660 million for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to pay for legal fees in the Guyana- Venezuela border case which is currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

During the debate of Budget 2022 last Friday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd gave assurance that the government we will not rest in its efforts to preserve Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Following the ICJ ruling on the jurisdiction in the case on the Guyana-Venezuela controversy, Minister Todd shared that the ministry has been making all efforts to submit Guyana’s Memorial on the merits of the country’s case by March 8, 2022.

Guyana moved to the ICJ with its case in March 2018, challenging the non-participating Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, over its disagreement on the legal validity and binding effect of the October 3, 1899 Award.

Venezuela had maintained that the ICJ was without jurisdiction to hear the case and had not participated in the matter.

However, in the December 18 last 12-4 majority ruling, the ICJ upheld that it has jurisdiction to entertain Guyana’s contention concerning the validity of the 1899 Award about the frontier between British Guiana and Venezuela, and the related question of the definitive settlement of the land boundary.

This, the court said was in keeping with a recommendation with United Nations Secretary-General Mr. António Guterres.

In January 2018, Mr. Guterres, acting within the authority bestowed upon him by the Geneva Agreement, chose adjudication by the Court as the final means for resolving the controversy.

The ICJ pointed out too, that both Guyana and Venezuela had agreed to the 1966 Geneva Agreement which showed that both parties had accepted the possibility of the controversy being resolved by means of judicial settlement.

Guyana maintains that a juridical settlement of this matter is the only recourse remaining as it has exhausted all other measures.

Meanwhile, the foreign affairs minister highlighted that his ministry will continue to be a responsible member of the international community, enhancing Guyana’s profile at the regional and international levels.

He recalled that in 2021, Guyana was able to negotiate and conclude a number of bilateral cooperation agreements in areas including education, technical and scientific cooperation, security and defence, petroleum, investment, and air services. The foreign affairs ministry, will in the months ahead, continue to propose, negotiate and conclude bilateral agreements that will produce benefits for the country.