GEORGETOWN, Guyana, The Guyana government Friday said it remains steadfast in its commitment to the international judicial process and the rule of law and is fully confident that, when the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issues its final Judgment on the merits of the case, it will conclude that the Essequibo “is legally and rightfully Guyanese territory.
“We believe that justice, not force, should be the arbiter of international disputes,” said President Irfaan Ali as he responded to the ruling of the ICJ on Friday that Venezuela must not take any action to seize the mineral and forest-rich county of Essequibo in Guyana based on its upcoming DecembeDecember 3ndum.
Both Guyana and Venezuela had made presentations to the ICJ during two days of hearing earlier this month into the case relating to the 1899 Arbitral Award after Guyana, in its request, had said that the Venezuela government, through its National Electoral Council, had published a list of five questions that it intends to put before the people of Venezuela in a “Consultative Referendum” on Sunday.
In its ruling, the ICJ issued several provisional measures that “unanimously pending a final decision in the case, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela shall refrain from taking any action, which would modify the situation that currently prevails in the territory in dispute, whereby the Cooperative Republic of Guyana administers, and exercises control over that area.”
The ICJ also said that “unanimously, both parties shall refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute before the court or make it more challenging to resolve.
“The court emphasizes that the question of the validity of the 1899 Award and the related question of the definitive settlement of the land boundary dispute between Guyana and Venezuela are matters for the court to decide at the merits stage.
“The court recalls that Guyana has requested to indicate measures aimed at ensuring the nonaggravation of the dispute with Venezuela when indicating provisional measures to reserve specific rights.”
In his statement, President Ali said Georgetown welcomed the ruling of the Hague-based ICJ, noting that “as the Court has made clear, Venezuela is prohibited from annexing or trespassing upon Guyanese territory or taking any other actions, regardless of the outcome of its referendum on DecembeDecember 3ould alter the status quo in which Guyana administers and controls the Essequibo Region, as an integral part of its sovereign territory, under the Arbitral Award of 3 OctobOctober 3
Ali said Friday’s ruling is legally binding on Venezuela and that the UN Charter and the Statute of the Court, to which Venezuela is a party, require strict compliance.
“This is an opportunity for Venezuela to join Guyana in demonstrating respect for international law and the principles that govern peaceful coexistence,” Ali said, adding, “to this end, we affirm our dedication to pursuing a peaceful, legal resolution to this dispute in the right and proper place – the ICJ – as authorized by the UN Secretary-General in the exercise of his powers under the Geneva Agreement of 1966”.
Ali said that the international community’s solidarity with Guyana has been invaluable. He is appealing to the wider Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the broader international community” to continue supporting the principles of justice and international law about the controversy over Guyana’s border with Venezuela.
“Our collective voice can serve as a beacon for the respect of the United Nations Charter, the rule of law, and the peaceful settlement of disputes.”
Ali said that as Guyana prepares to join the United Nations Security Council, “We are conscious of the responsibility that comes with this role – to encourage and support international peace and stability and the rule of law, and we encourage all peace-loving nations to insist on Venezuelan respect for the Charter of the United Nations and the UN’s highest court.
“We are resolved to maintain our region as a Zone of Peace, and we invite all nations to join us in this noble pursuit,” he added.
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