Guyana marks 60 years of Geneva agreement safeguarding border with Venezuela

Feb 19, 2026 News

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(Kaieteur News) – The Government of Guyana on Wednesday commemorated the 60^th anniversary of the signing of the Geneva Agreement of 17th February 1966, a treaty of immense legal and diplomatic significance establishing the framework for the peaceful resolution of the controversy arising from Venezuela’s contention regarding the boundary between British Guiana and Venezuela.

Signed by the United Kingdom and Venezuela, and subsequently acceded to by the independent State of Guyana on May 26, 1966, the Geneva Agreement is a binding international instrument deposited with the United Nations and grounded firmly in the principles of the United Nations Charter and the rule of international law.

According to a release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Arbitral Award of October 3, 1899 definitively established the land boundary between what is now Guyana and Venezuela.

“The Award” the Ministry said, “was accepted and implemented by both parties for more than six decades, including through the demarcation of the boundary in 1905.”

The ministry explained that the Geneva Agreement was a response to Venezuela’s change of position in 1962 when, after 60 years of recognising the validity of the 1899 Award and the international boundary it established, it suddenly adopted a contrary position claiming the Award was invalid. Great Britain and British Guiana rejected Venezuela’s abrupt turnabout, holding fast to their firm position on the legal validity and binding nature of the Award.  Negotiations led to an agreement at Geneva on a peaceful procedure for resolving the controversy over the validity of the arbitral award.

“As we mark this historic milestone, the Co-operative Republic of Guyana calls upon the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to recommit itself to the rule of international law, to respect the ongoing judicial process before the International Court of Justice, and to refrain from actions or statements which may undermine peace and stability in the region. The Government of Guyana reaffirms its enduring commitment to peaceful coexistence, mutual respect among nations, and the definitive judicial resolution of this controversy by the International Court of Justice in accordance with the 1966 Geneva Agreement and the Charter of the United Nations,” the ministry said in its statement.

Guyana instituted proceedings before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in March 2018, seeking a final and binding determination that the 1899 Arbitral Award is valid and that the land boundary established thereby remains legally binding on both Guyana and Venezuela. Venezuela has objected to the court’s jurisdiction.

However, in its judgment of December 18, 2020, the court rejected Venezuela’s objection and affirmed that it has jurisdiction to entertain the case, finding that by conferring on the secretary general the authority to choose the means of settlement, the parties had consented to judicial resolution by the court. The court subsequently reaffirmed its competence to resolve the controversy in its 2023 judgment on preliminary objections raised by Venezuela and has continued to exercise its judicial function in accordance with international law and the requisite rules of the court.

To this end, Guyana reiterates its unwavering commitment to the judicial process before the ICJ and to the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law. At Guyana’s request, the court has twice ordered provisional measures to preserve the status quo and ensure that neither party undertakes actions which might aggravate or extend the dispute pending its final judgment. Guyana has consistently complied with these orders and has called upon Venezuela to do likewise, in strict observance of its international obligations.

In this context, Guyana firmly rejects assertions and misrepresentations emanating from official Venezuelan pronouncements which seek to distort the purpose and legal effect of the Geneva Agreement, deny the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, or assert unfounded claims to Guyana’s sovereign territory. The Geneva Agreement does not extinguish the 1899 Arbitral Award, nor does it confer upon Venezuela the right to unilaterally determine the status of Guyana’s Essequibo region. Rather, it provides a clear and lawful pathway, before the International Court of Justice, for the definitive resolution of the controversy.

Guyana therefore remains steadfast in its adherence to the principles of international law, the sanctity of treaties, and the peaceful settlement of disputes. For nearly six decades, Guyana has acted in good faith, respecting both the letter and spirit of the Geneva Agreement, while maintaining full compliance with its international obligations. Guyana will continue to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity through lawful and peaceful means and with full confidence in the impartial adjudication of the International Court of Justice.

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• Border, Geneva Agreement, Guyana-Venezuela, ICJ, Venezuela

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