Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation named a 16-person team for upcoming hearings in the border case with Venezuela, to be held at the seat of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) headquarters, at the Peace Palace in the Hague.
The case concerning the Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 (Guyana v. Venezuela) will explore preliminary objections raised by Venezuela in response to Guyana’s submissions, from November 17-22, 2022.
The hearings will be devoted to the preliminary objections raised by Venezuela, in June, in response to Guyana’s submission of its Memorial on the merits of the case. In accordance with its rules, the Court had suspended the proceedings on the merits until after the handling of Venezuela’s preliminary objections.
Prior to this, Venezuela had shown no recognition for the Court’s jurisdiction to hear the border case, even stating outright rejection when the Court ruled that it has jurisdiction.
Guyana had noted that by making the objections, Venezuela had officially joined the proceedings.
“The people of Guyana have remained firmly united in the quest to preserve Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the Guyana Ministry said.
Guyana’s delegation is constituted as follows:
The Hon. Mohabir Anil Nandlall, S.C, M.P, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs;
The Hon. Gail Teixeira, M.P, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance;
Mr. Carl Greenidge, Agent of Guyana in the case concerning the Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899;
Ambassador Elisabeth Harper, Co-Agent and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation;
Ms. Donnette Streete, Director of the Frontiers Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation; and
Ambassador Ronald Austin, Advisor to the Leader of the Opposition on Frontier matters.
Guyana is represented in the case before the Court by:
Sir Shridath Ramphal, OE, OCC, KC, Co-Agent and Counsel
Mr. Paul S. Reichler, Attorney-at-Law, Foley Hoag LLP, member of the Bars of the United States Supreme Court and the District of Columbia;
Mr. Alain Pellet, Professor Emeritus of the University Paris Nanterre, former Chairman of the International Law Commission, member of the Institut de droit international
Professor Philippe Sands KC, Professor of International Law at University College London, 11 King’s Bench Walk, London;
Mr. Payam Akhavan, LLM, SJD (Harvard University), Professor of International Law, Senior Fellow, Massey College, University, of Toronto, member of the Bar of New York and the Law Society of Ontario, member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration
Professor Pierre d’Argent, Professor ordinaire, Université Catholique de Louvain, member of the Institut de Droit International, Foley Hoag LLP, member of the Bar of Brussels;
Ms. Christina L. Beharry, Foley Hoag LLP, member of the Bars of the District of Columbia, the State of New York, England and Wales, and the Law Society of Ontario;
Mr. Edward Craven, Barrister, Matrix Chambers, London;
Mr. Juan Pablo Hugues Arthur, Foley Hoag LLP, member of the Bar of the State of New York;
Ms. Isabella F. Uria, Attorney –at-Law, Foley Hoag LLP, member of the Bar of the District of Columbia.
