The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will hold public hearings from May 4 to May 11 in the case brought by Guyana over the validity of an 1899 Arbitral Award that determined its border with Venezuela, with proceedings scheduled in The Hague and carried live online.
The hearings, to be held at the Peace Palace, will follow a schedule set in Central European Summer Time (CEST), which is six hours ahead of Guyana.
On Monday, May 4, Guyana’s first round of oral arguments will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. CEST (4 a.m. to 7 a.m. Guyana time), followed by a second session from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. CEST (9 a.m. to noon Guyana time).
Venezuela’s first round of oral arguments is scheduled for Wednesday, May 6, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. CEST (4 a.m. to 7 a.m. Guyana time), with a second session from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. CEST (9 a.m. to noon Guyana time).
Guyana will deliver its second round of oral arguments on Friday, May 8, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. CEST (9 a.m. to noon Guyana time), while Venezuela’s second round is set for Monday, May 11, during the same 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. CEST window (9 a.m. to noon Guyana time).
The case centers on the legal validity and binding effect of the October 3, 1899 Arbitral Award that fixed the boundary between then British Guiana and Venezuela. Guyana filed its application before the ICJ in March 2018, seeking confirmation of the award and the boundary it established.
The court has already affirmed its jurisdiction in the matter in rulings issued in December 2020 and April 2023, and has granted provisional measures requested by Guyana aimed at preventing Venezuela from interfering with the administration of the territory while proceedings continue.
The hearings will be streamed live in English and French on the ICJ’s website and UN Web TV.
