The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will begin oral hearings on May 4 in the border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela, with proceedings expected to last at least a week and possibly extend further, Guyana’s Attorney General Mohabir Anil Nandlall said.
Speaking on his Facebook live show ‘Issue in the News’, Nandlall said the hearings at the World Court in The Hague would run daily throughout that week, and “is likely to go over to the following week, should the court decide it necessary to do so.”
Nandlall said he will join Guyana’s legal team and appear before the court as the country advances its case.
The case centers on the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the land boundary between Guyana and Venezuela. Venezuela accepted that boundary for decades before declaring the award null and void in 1962 and laying claim to more than two-thirds of Guyana’s territory in the Essequibo.
The ICJ has already affirmed its jurisdiction over the matter, rejecting Venezuela’s preliminary objections and clearing the way for a ruling on the merits.
Guyana filed the case in 2018, seeking a final and binding judgment to settle the controversy under international law.
Guyana’s Agent before the court, Carl Greenidge, has said he expects a final decision by early 2027 at the latest.
The ICJ, the United Nations’ top judicial body, is expected to deliver a binding rule on the controversy, which has intensified in recent years amid rising economic stakes tied to large quantities of oil discovered by ExxonMobil offshore Guyana and Venezuela’s troubles.
