THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has reiterated Guyana’s firm commitment to the peaceful resolution of the border controversy with Venezuela.
Guyana’s position was reaffirmed by the ministry as a direct response to a communique issued by Venezuela on September 30.

The Government of Guyana, according to the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry, stands by the statement made by President, Dr Irfaan Ali before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 21, 2022.

In his address to the UNGA, President Ali said: “In the matter of Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity – challenged and threatened by Venezuela as it is, we remain – to quote the Secretary-General at the opening of the General Debate yesterday – “committed to make the most of every diplomatic tool for the pacific settlement of disputes, as set out in the Charter of the United Nations.”

In this case, “judicial settlement” as determined by the Secretary-General himself.
The world’s nations, the ministry said, could be assured that Guyana shall remain true to those peaceful processes and deny every effort to depart from them. The International Court of Justice has already affirmed its jurisdiction in the matter.

In March 2018, Guyana filed its application in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) seeking an affirmation of the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award and the international boundary that it established. The ICJ ruled, on December 18, 2020, that it has jurisdiction to hear the border controversy case.

Guyana is seeking to obtain a final and binding judgement that the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the location of the land boundary between then British Guiana and Venezuela, remains valid and that the Essequibo region belongs to Guyana and not Venezuela.