BELMOPAN, Belize, July – The Belize authorities has been knowledgeable by the Worldwide Court docket of Justice (ICJ) that it has determined to listen to Guatemala’s utility for permission to intervene within the Belize versus Honduras case in oral proceedings scheduled to start on Monday, November 24, this yr.
In November 2022, the Belize authorities requested that the ICJ “adjudge and declare that, as between Belize and Honduras, Belize is sovereign over the Sapodilla Cayes.”
Belize filed its Memorial in Might 2023, and Honduras filed its Counter-Memorial in December 2023, with the events agreeing that no additional pleadings have been obligatory.
International Affairs Minister Eamon Courtenay stated on the time that Belize had anticipated Guatemala making use of to the ICJ for permission to affix the portion of the proceedings between Belize and Honduras that will decide sovereignty over the Sapodilla Cayes.
In its utility instituting proceedings, Belize states that, for the reason that early nineteenth century, the Sapodilla Cayes have been a part of Belize’s territory, initially as a part of the settlement of Belize and later as a part of the colony of British Honduras, and since 1981 as a part of the impartial State of Belize.
“Beneath worldwide legislation, Belize is sovereign over the Sapodilla Cayes,” and that “the Honduran declare to the Sapodilla Cayes, articulated in its 1982 Structure, which stays in drive as a matter of the interior legislation of Honduras, has no foundation in worldwide legislation,” Belize stated in its utility.
Nonetheless, on December 1, 2023, Guatemala utilized to intervene within the Belize versus Honduras case.
In keeping with Guatemala, Belize’s submission overlaps with its submissions within the case regarding its border dispute with Belize.
“Each Belize and Guatemala declare sovereignty over the Sapodillas. In its utility for permission to intervene, Guatemala contends that it has “a transparent curiosity of a authorized nature (within the Belize v. Honduras case) since . . . it has a longstanding declare of sovereignty over the Sapodillas, which is a part of the subject-matter of the pending Guatemala/Belize case earlier than the Court docket”, and which can be affected by a call of the Court docket within the current case.
Guatemala additional signifies that the thing of its intervention is twofold, particularly to guard the rights and pursuits of Guatemala over the Sapodilla Cays by all of the authorized means obtainable, and to tell the Court docket of the character and extent of Guatemala’s rights, which can be affected by the Court docket’s resolution on the problem of sovereignty over the Sapodillas.
Guatemala’s utility additionally seeks to make sure that the Court docket’s determinations don’t contact upon or prejudice its authorized rights and pursuits.
Belize stated whereas it had indicated that it had no objection, Honduras did object, “thereby requiring a listening to on that preliminary matter earlier than the substantive circumstances may proceed.
“The Workplace of the Agent (OOTA) has been working carefully with the authorized groups engaged for each territorial circumstances earlier than the Court docket and can be ready to characterize Belize’s pursuits on the November hearings successfully,” the federal government stated.
