BELMOPAN, Belize, July – The Belize government has been informed by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that it has decided to hear Guatemala’s application for permission to intervene in the Belize versus Honduras case in oral proceedings scheduled to begin on Monday, November 24, this year.
In November 2022, the Belize government requested that the ICJ “adjudge and declare that, as between Belize and Honduras, Belize is sovereign over the Sapodilla Cayes.”
Belize filed its Memorial in May 2023, and Honduras filed its Counter-Memorial in December 2023, with the parties agreeing that no further pleadings were necessary.
Foreign Affairs Minister Eamon Courtenay said at the time that Belize had anticipated Guatemala applying to the ICJ for permission to join the portion of the proceedings between Belize and Honduras that would determine sovereignty over the Sapodilla Cayes.
In its application instituting proceedings, Belize states that, since the early 19th century, the Sapodilla Cayes have been part of Belize’s territory, initially as part of the settlement of Belize and later as part of the colony of British Honduras, and since 1981 as part of the independent State of Belize.
“Under international law, Belize is sovereign over the Sapodilla Cayes,” and that “the Honduran claim to the Sapodilla Cayes, articulated in its 1982 Constitution, which remains in force as a matter of the internal law of Honduras, has no basis in international law,” Belize said in its application.
However, on December 1, 2023, Guatemala applied to intervene in the Belize versus Honduras case.
According to Guatemala, Belize’s submission overlaps with its submissions in the case concerning its border dispute with Belize.
“Both Belize and Guatemala claim sovereignty over the Sapodillas. In its application for permission to intervene, Guatemala contends that it has “a clear interest of a legal nature (in the Belize v. Honduras case) since . . . it has a longstanding claim of sovereignty over the Sapodillas, which is part of the subject-matter of the pending Guatemala/Belize case before the Court”, and which may be affected by a decision of the Court in the present case.
Guatemala further indicates that the object of its intervention is twofold, namely to protect the rights and interests of Guatemala over the Sapodilla Cays by all the legal means available, and to inform the Court of the nature and extent of Guatemala’s rights, which may be affected by the Court’s decision on the issue of sovereignty over the Sapodillas.
Guatemala’s application also seeks to ensure that the Court’s determinations do not touch upon or prejudice its legal rights and interests.
Belize said while it had indicated that it had no objection, Honduras did object, “thereby requiring a hearing on that preliminary matter before the substantive cases could proceed.
“The Office of the Agent (OOTA) has been working closely with the legal teams engaged for both territorial cases before the Court and will be prepared to represent Belize’s interests at the November hearings effectively,” the government said.
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