GEORGETOWN, Guyana–The United States says it supporters a “peaceful solution” to the border dispute between Guyana and Venezuela reiterating also that it recognizes the land boundary between the two countries in keeping with the 123-year old 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Award.
US Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Brian Nichols.“The 1899 arbitral award determined the land boundary between Guyana and Venezuela and should be respected unless or until otherwise determined by a competent legal body,” said US Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Brian A. Nichols.
“The U.S. supports a peaceful resolution to this issue,” he said in a statement.
Guyana earlier this week marked the 123rd anniversary of the Anglo-Venezuelan Arbitral Tribunal which fixed the boundary between Venezuela and British Guiana, optimistic that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will decide the ongoing border dispute with the South American country in its favor.
“Guyana is optimistic that the Court will decide the case in its favor and that the validity of the arbitral award and the boundary will be upheld. In the meantime, it is dedicating all of its efforts to the achievement of this outcome,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said in a statement.
The ministry said that the tribunal created by the Treaty of Washington of 1897, provided for both Britain and Venezuela to agree to accept the tribunal’s award as a ‘full, perfect and final settlement of the boundary issue.
“123 years later, Guyana still accepts and celebrates the Award as such,” the ministry said noting that Caracas had applauded the award.
Last month, President Dr Irfaan Ali, told the United Nations General Assembly that “In the matter of Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity – challenged and threatened by Venezuela as it is, we remain…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”.
He told the international community 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.”
Georgetown said that as it celebrates the anniversary date of the Arbitral Award of Paris of 3rd October 1899, “we celebrate the rule of international law and the sanctity of Treaties.
“We celebrate that our quest for justice has led us to the hallowed halls of the International Court of Justice,” the ministry said, noting that Guyana brought the matter to the Court in an Application submitted on 29 March 2018.
“The Court confirmed its jurisdiction over Guyana’s claims, rejecting Venezuela’s objections, in a Judgment issued on 18 December 2020. This assures that it will be the Court which decides, with final and binding effect on the parties – Guyana and Venezuela – whether the 1899 Arbitral Award establishing the international boundary between the two States was lawfully issued and remains legally valid and permanently binding as a matter of international law,” the ministry added.
