Guyana reaffirms commitment to ICJ process on 60th anniversary of Geneva Agreement

The Government of Guyana has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the judicial process at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), as it commemorates 60 years since the signing of the 1966 Geneva Agreement, the treaty that established the framework for resolving the long-standing border controversy with Venezuela.

In a press statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on Tuesday, Guyana said the Geneva Agreement remains a binding international instrument and provides a clear and lawful pathway for a final resolution of the controversy through the ICJ.

The Ministry noted that the Geneva Agreement was signed on February 17, 1966, and is grounded in the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter.

According to the statement, the Agreement was created after Venezuela shifted its position in 1962—after having accepted the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award for more than 60 years—and began claiming that the Award was invalid.

Guyana explained that the Arbitral Award of October 3, 1899, definitively established the land boundary between what is now Guyana and Venezuela and was accepted and implemented by both parties for decades, including through boundary demarcation in 1905.

The Ministry said that the Geneva Agreement set out a series of mechanisms aimed at reaching a final resolution, including diplomatic negotiations and a Mixed Commission.

When those efforts failed, the matter was referred to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who initially selected mediation through “good offices,” a process that lasted from 1990 to 2017 without progress.

In January 2018, the UN Secretary-General concluded that the good offices approach had failed and selected adjudication by the ICJ as the final means of settlement, as provided for under Article IV (2) of the Geneva Agreement.

In its statement, Guyana firmly rejected what it described as assertions and misrepresentations from official Venezuelan pronouncements, which seek to distort the purpose and legal effect of the Geneva Agreement.

Guyana said the Geneva Agreement does not extinguish the 1899 Arbitral Award, nor does it give Venezuela the right to unilaterally determine the status of Guyana’s Essequibo region.

Instead, the Government stated that the Agreement provides a lawful pathway for the ICJ to make a definitive determination.

The Foreign Ministry also reminded that Guyana instituted proceedings at the ICJ in March 2018, seeking a final and binding judgment confirming that the 1899 Award is valid and that the boundary remains legally binding on both states.

Venezuela objected to the Court’s jurisdiction, but Guyana pointed out that the ICJ rejected Venezuela’s arguments and confirmed its jurisdiction in its December 18, 2020 ruling.

The Court later reaffirmed its competence in a 2023 judgment on preliminary objections.

The statement also noted that at Guyana’s request, the ICJ has twice ordered provisional measures aimed at preserving the status quo and preventing either party from taking actions that could aggravate or extend the dispute before the final judgment is delivered.

Guyana said it has consistently complied with these orders and continues to call on Venezuela to do the same.

As Guyana marks the historic milestone, the Government urged Venezuela to recommit itself to international law, respect the ongoing ICJ proceedings, and refrain from actions or statements that could undermine peace and stability in the region.

Guyana reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful coexistence, mutual respect among nations, and the definitive judicial settlement of the controversy in accordance with the Geneva Agreement and the UN Charter.

The statement was issued from Georgetown and signed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on February 17, 2026.