World Court to hear Guyana-Venezuela border issue next month

Last Updated on Tuesday, 21 April 2026, 21:24 by Writer

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will on May 4 begin several days of oral hearings on the merits of Guyana’s case against Venezuela on the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Award that settled the land boundary between the neighbouring countries, Attorney General Anil Nandlall said on Tuesday night.

He said on his weekly social media talk show, Issues In The News that the hearings would be held all week and possibly in the new week if necessary.

Mr Nandlall said he would be joining Guyana’s team of international lawyers in The Hague for the hearing.

Venezuela’s non-recognition of the tribunal award means that it continues to lay claim to the 160,000 square kilometre mineral and forest-rich Essequibo Region and Guyana’s exclusive economic zone off that region.

Neither the Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor the ICJ has provided any information about the upcoming hearing.

Major international oil companies with concessions offshore the Essequibo Region would be among those that would be paying keen attention to the case that was filed by Guyana on March 29, 2018.

In January, ExxonMobil’s Chief Executive Officer Darren Woods had said the ICJ ruling would be a “critical milestone” for deciding on the company’s future work in the Stabroek Block.

Last month, United States (US) Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot said the US would be willing to play a role in negotiating the maritime boundary delimitation after the World Court’s decision that is expected in early 2027.

Unlike Guyana and Suriname, Venezuela is not a member of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and so Georgetown and Caracas would have to bilaterally negotiate the settlement of the maritime boundary.