CARICOM united behind judicial process to settle border controversy

Jul 08, 2018 News

CARICOM member states have expressed their support for the judicial process underway before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to settle the matter of the border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela.

Heads at the 39th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, Montego Bay, Jamaica (photograph courtesy of Caricom Secretariat)

This significant support for Guyana’s position was contained in a communique at the conclusion of the Thirty-Ninth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) held in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
President David Granger attended the meeting along with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge.
The Heads of Government “expressed support for the judicial process underway which was intended to bring a peaceful and definitive end to the long standing controversy and which was in accordance with the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter.”
The communique noted that the Heads of Government had “received an update on the most recent developments between the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.”
“They noted that Guyana had filed its Application with the International Court of Justice on March 29, 2018, in accordance with the decision of the United Nations Secretary General, which was issued on January 30, 2018 to choose the International Court of Justice as the means that is now to be used for the settlement of the controversy between Guyana and Venezuela.”
“Heads of Government further noted that Venezuela had indicated its decision not to participate in the case and that in such a case, the rules of the Court provide for a full hearing of the case and a final judgement that is legally binding on both the participating and nonparticipating countries.”
“Heads of Government reiterated their firm and unswerving support for the maintenance and preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana,” the communique noted.