—Says Guyana ‘more confident than ever’ 1899 Arbitral Award will be upheld as case before World Court demonstrated Venezuela’s claim lacks merit in fact and law

PRESIDENT Dr. Irfaan Ali on Friday said Guyana anticipates that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will deliver its ruling on the decades-old border controversy with Venezuela by the end of this year, while expressing confidence that the court will uphold the legal validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award.

Speaking during a press conference at the Office of the President, President Ali said Guyana emerged from the recently concluded oral hearings “more confident than ever” that the World Court will affirm the finality of the boundary established by the award.

“As you know, the oral hearings in Guyana’s case against Venezuela before the International Court of Justice, the world’s highest international judicial tribunal, began on May 4 and concluded on May 11” President Ali said.

“This brought the contentious part of the proceedings to a close… We anticipate the court’s ruling at the end of this year.”

He added, “Guyana is confident, in fact, after the oral hearings, we are even more confident than ever that the court will uphold the legal validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award and the finality of the international boundary between Guyana and Venezuela.”

The President commended Guyana’s legal and diplomatic team for what he described as a compelling presentation before the court, singling out the country’s agents, co-agents, legal advisers and international attorneys for their efforts during the proceedings.

Among those recognised were Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hugh Todd, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, former Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge, as well as international counsel, including Paul Reichler and his team.

President Ali said Guyana believes its arguments demonstrated a “lack of merit” in Venezuela’s case, both legally and factually.

“We are very proud of the presentation made at the oral hearings. We believe that our arguments were compelling and convincing, and they showed a lack of merit in Venezuela’s case, both on the facts and on the law,” he said.

At the centre of the case is the validity of the Arbitral Award of October 3, 1899, which established the boundary between then British Guiana and Venezuela. Venezuela formally rejected the award in 1962 after accepting it for decades.

Guyana initiated proceedings before the ICJ on March 29, 2018, seeking a final and peaceful resolution of the controversy in accordance with international law.

Since then, the case has progressed through several stages, including written submissions and preliminary objections raised by Venezuela.

In 2020, the court confirmed it has jurisdiction to hear the matter, and in 2023, it dismissed Venezuela’s preliminary objections, allowing the case to proceed to the merits stage.

President Ali noted that both Guyana and Venezuela had already submitted extensive written pleadings between 2021 and 2025 before the oral hearings were conducted earlier this month.

“All that now remains is for the court to deliberate on the matter before it, especially on the validity of the 1899 arbitral award… and issue its final judgment, which will be legally binding on both parties,” he said.

The Head of State also highlighted Guyana’s commitment to international law and peaceful resolution, while urging Venezuela to respect the court’s authority and refrain from actions that threaten Guyana’s sovereignty.

“Guyana has pledged repeatedly, including during these oral hearings, that it will abide by the court’s judgment, whatever it may be,” President Ali stated.

He warned, however, that statements from Venezuelan officials rejecting the ICJ’s jurisdiction and indicating they may not comply with the court’s ruling would constitute breaches of international obligations under the United Nations Charter and the Charter of the Organization of American States.

“It will not be tolerated by the international community, which demands a world order based on law,” the President said.

The ICJ had previously issued provisional measures aimed at preserving the status quo while the case remains before the court. Most recently, in its December 2023 order, the court directed Venezuela to refrain from taking any action that would alter the existing situation in the territory, which remains under Guyana’s administration and control.

President Ali said Guyana remains committed to pursuing peaceful relations with Venezuela despite the ongoing controversy.

“We will continue to address Venezuela in a spirit of peace, cooperation and friendship, and as sovereign equals. We respect Venezuela’s sovereignty as we have always done. We insist that Venezuela refrain from trespassing on or threatening Guyana’s sovereignty,” he said.