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Guyana stands firm on sovereignty – PM Phillips tells National Assembly
(Kaieteur News) – Guyana is standing firm on its territorial sovereignty as it awaits a landmark ruling from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its long-running border controversy with Venezuela.
Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips made the declaration in the National Assembly on Friday.
“We will respect Venezuela’s sovereignty, as we have always done, and insist that Venezuela refrains from trespassing on, or threatening, Guyana’s sovereignty,” Phillips told the House.
Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips
The Prime Minister said that once the court’s final judgment is handed down, Guyana will demand full compliance — as required under international law.
“This is the only way forward for our two States: toward a secure, just and lasting peace, an enduring friendship, and a mutually prosperous future for both our peoples,” he said.
Guyana’s case was argued before the ICJ over four days in May, with a decision expected between November 2026 and January 2027.
“Whatever the Court decides, it will be legally binding on both Guyana and Venezuela. Both States will be obligated to accept and comply with it under the explicit terms of the United Nations Charter and the Statute of the International Court of Justice, to which they have both subscribed,” the PM stated.
He stressed that “…It has always been Guyana’s firmly held position that disputes between States be resolved peacefully, finally and in conformity with international law. They must not be allowed to fester indefinitely. They must never be resolved by threat or use of military force.”
Brigadier (Ret’d) Phillips asserted that Guyana is confident that the court will uphold the legal validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award and the finality and permanence of the international boundary between Guyana and Venezuela.
“Guyana is very proud of the presentations it made at the recently concluded oral hearings. It believes that its arguments were compelling and convincing, and that they showed the lack of merit in Venezuela’s case both on the facts and on the law. Guyana is grateful to its representatives in these proceedings, headed by Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd; Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General Anil Nandlall; and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge, as agent.
The Prime Minister pointed out that the entire world (with the exception of Venezuela) recognises the international boundary between Guyana and Venezuela. As such, he believes, “the Court will order Venezuela not to offend, seize, annex or trespass any Guyanese territory, as defined by the 1899 Arbitral Award, or to threaten any such transgressions against Guyana. In short, we expect to be fully victorious in this historic, and for Guyana, existential, case.”
He said that with the conclusion of the oral hearings, Guyana patiently awaits the court’s final judgement on the merits with optimism. “We will continue to address Venezuela in a spirit of peace, cooperation and friendship, and as sovereign equals,” he said.
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